Arrows and Thorns
by The Brother Anton
Summary: REUPLOAD On his journey home from a diplomatic trip, Prince Tetsuhiro Morinaga finds himself the newest captive of a bandit ring. Rather than fear for his life, he welcomes his new situation—especially the leader of the ring, whose stunning beauty is matched only by his intriguing mystery—and tyrannical temper. AU of Koisuru Boukun and Part I of the Arrows and Thorns Trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, readers. Probably not what you expected as a first page, I know, but I feel it's necessary to include this author's note.**

 **Whether you're returning or new, the message is the same, and I plan on putting this at the beginning of all of my re-uploads. I was once really active on here and had way more fics than what I currently do, but for personal reasons I deleted all of my works and closed my account for about a year. I do feel bad that I deleted everything, though, so even if I don't plan on being extremely active on here again, I still feel like I should give you all something.**

 **That something are these: the fics that I deleted. I didn't save the little ones, but I did keep my long AU's, for which I was greatly known. This AU is actually the least "out there" of the three that I did. I uploaded this storyline in a trilogy format originally, and I plan to replicate that here. These are the exact fics as they were a year ago; I haven't changed or revised anything.**

 **Just a little plot note for this one, the Morinaga brothers are** ** _king_** **and prince, not prince and prince like what's said in the beginning. Their parents are both dead. Just a clarification.**

 **All of that out of the way, I hope you enjoy.**

 **~Anton**


	2. Chapter 2

When I was shaken awake from my light doze, I was overcome by the intense urge to punch whoever had interrupted me and scream to the heavens in fury. Luckily, however, I merely flinched and scowled.

"What?" I groaned.

Hiroto—my ginger-haired escort and best friend of many years—pulled back his slender hands and set them on his lap. "You were starting to rant about how you wanted to murder squirrels after cuddling with them and I got scared."

As absurd as that sounded, I was too drowsy to laugh or scoff. So instead I opted for a slight smile. "You worry too much," I replied. "I was just dreaming."

His blue orbs widened. "Tetsuhiro... _that's_ a dream for you?!"

Now I laughed. Hiroto was as emotional and concerned as ever. Such a welcome occurrence, considering the dreary state of affairs our carriage drove us toward.

It'd been months since I'd been home, my days spent bettering relations with a small territory of ours that had a history of rebellions and terroristic attacks on our kingdom. Luckily I'd been able to reason with the man in charge of the territory; otherwise Metsudan would currently be locked in yet another war with them. Which wouldn't have been that bad, had that little territory provided nearly half of Metsudan's supply of iron ore. Reinorok's people had been quite kind to me. Surprising, considering that they despised the Morinaga family and all to do with us. Upon my arrival they'd provided me with lodgings and food, and only three attempts had been made on my life. A good number, as my father had projected at least ten.

So naturally I'd been saddened the day of Hiroto's and my departure.

Following a party thrown by those I'd made friends with in Reinorok's capital, Tanda, Hiroto and I had settled comfortably into a carriage my father had sent. We'd traveled for about a day and a half already, barely a dent in the week and a half it took to get from Tanda to Maikan, Metsudan's capital city. Homesickness and excitement would plague most, but if it were my choice, I would've remained in Reinorok forever.

I did love my parents and older brother, but I learned quickly the true reason I'd been sent to Reinorok in the first place: they were ashamed of me. For at least five of my twenty-three years I'd expertly hidden my...interest in males from the public, keeping trysts with servants and stablehands as secretive as the origins of man. But my brother had caught me in bed with one of these lovers of mine—though it was in the morning, so he had no proof of any sexual activity (of which there was lots)—and the next morning my father sent Hiroto and me to Reinorok.

"Angel," Hiroto said.

I glanced at him with a smile; he'd called me that since our teenage years. "Hmm?"

"You look saddened. Why?"

He knew full well why. Out of common courtesy I replied, "I don't want to go home."

He sighed and scooted closer to me. "Angel, you'll be fine. They probably don't even care anymore."

I scoffed. "Knowing Kunihiro, he'll still hold this against me when I'm eighty. My parents for longer."

Another sigh. "You're so easily depressed," he mumbled. "Where's your usual optimism?"

"Back in Reinorok," I replied. "Where it'll stay for a long while."

Hiroto's arm wrapped around my shoulders to pull me from the window of the carriage to him. "You know I can't stand to see you so upset!" he exclaimed. "No angel should be this sad!"

A smile crossed my lips, and I hugged back with one arm. Even though he'd offered multiple times, Hiroto and I had never engaged in any sort of relationship. "Calm yourself. It's not that bad."

"Yes, it is!" he replied. "Being shunned and hated for something that you can't control...that's awful! And it's making you sad!"

I opened my mouth to reply, only to be cut off by a pained groan and a thud. Our carriage stopped abruptly, and the two of us separated from our embrace.

"Step outside!" a voice shouted. "Should you resist or run, we won't hesitate to drive arrows into your skulls!"

Hiroto and I shared the same look of concern. My ginger-haired friend swallowed and opened the door to the carriage. We exited the protection we'd had from the wintry forest outside, and my eyes widened as they landed upon the most beautiful creature I'd ever had the pleasure of seeing.


	3. Chapter 3

He was so beautiful!

Oh, it was as if the gods had crafted him by hand, taking extensive amounts of time to carve out every individual feature that he possessed! His citrine eyes sparkled in the sunlight blocked by the clouds white clouds. His silvery-blonde hair, tied back in a dark cloth, rested upon his shoulder, flowing down his slender form to his waist. His skin was milky but not gaunt, like a porcelain doll but so much more beautiful. Even the way he carried himself with such confidence and sternness sent shivers down my spine. It'd been all of fifteen minutes, and already I wanted him in bed with me. Hell, I'd only known him for two and I'd wanted to peel off his cloak and dark green tunic. If he looked so lovely now—

"Morinaga!" Souichi's harsh voice spat.

I flinched and looked his way. Anger dispersed from his face but not entirely, morphing his glare into a slight scowl. "Y-Yes?"

"What do you want?"

I blinked a few times. "What do you mean?"

He scoffed. "What do I mean—you've been staring at me for the past ten minutes! What the fuck do you want?!"

 _You_ , my more...lewd side thought.

Aloud I said. "Uh, it's...nothing, I assure you. I'm just...well...daydreaming, I suppose."

"Oh, gods, not another one," he mumbled.

I tilted my head to the side. His tone had changed, and the intense urge to hold him washed over me. "What is it?"

His eyes of melted gold shifted my way. "Nothing, nothing. Just...keep your daydreams as those: dreams."

I nodded slowly. "Alright...I will."

Though our words ceased, our conversation was far from over. At least, on my end. What was his issue with daydreamers? Who didn't like dreaming in the day?

"Souichi—"

I froze as the blade of his knife pressed against my throat. The group of men behind us stopped as well, and I heard Hiroto gasp. "Angel!"

"Quiet," the one called Isogai said. I glanced over my shoulder to see him cover Hiroto's mouth with a gloved hand. "It's rude to interrupt."

My gaze returned to Souichi when Hiroto quieted. "What is it?"

"I don't remember letting you call me by my first name," he growled. "Do you, Morinaga?"

Gulping, I replied, "No..."

He nodded once and turned to the others. "Do any of you remember this?"

A unanimous 'no' rumbled through the crowd. Again I gulped.

"Ah, I see. Just making sure I'm not going deaf." He increased the pressure of the blade on my neck. "You will _not_ call me by my given name. Am I understood?"

I nodded as best I could, considering the knife at my throat. "Th-Then what do I call you?"

This time Isogai piped up. "Call him Senpai!" he called. "That's what everyone calls him!"

Souichi's head whipped to Isogai, and a growl rumbled from his throat. "Taichiro," he snapped.

He sighed and went quiet, but not before mumbling, "Do you have anything better for him to call you?"

At that, Souichi's porcelain cheeks gained a hint of color. My eyes widened, and my heart thrummed in my chest. He looked so...adorable...so innocent and sweet and cute…

A light coat of redness now covered my cheeks, too, and I gasped internally. As far as I could I moved away from him. If he felt it hit him…

Well, then calling him by his first name would be the least of my issues.


	4. Chapter 4

He was so beautiful!

Oh, it was as if the gods had crafted him by hand, taking extensive amounts of time to carve out every individual feature that he possessed! His citrine eyes sparkled in the sunlight blocked by the clouds white clouds. His silvery-blonde hair, tied back in a dark cloth, rested upon his shoulder, flowing down his slender form to his waist. His skin was milky but not gaunt, like a porcelain doll but so much more beautiful. Even the way he carried himself with such confidence and sternness sent shivers down my spine. It'd been all of fifteen minutes, and already I wanted him in bed with me. Hell, I'd only known him for two and I'd wanted to peel off his cloak and dark green tunic. If he looked so lovely now—

"Morinaga!" Souichi's harsh voice spat.

I flinched and looked his way. Anger dispersed from his face but not entirely, morphing his glare into a slight scowl. "Y-Yes?"

"What do you want?"

I blinked a few times. "What do you mean?"

He scoffed. "What do I mean—you've been staring at me for the past ten minutes! What the fuck do you want?!"

 _You_ , my more...lewd side thought.

Aloud I said. "Uh, it's...nothing, I assure you. I'm just...well...daydreaming, I suppose."

"Oh, gods, not another one," he mumbled.

I tilted my head to the side. His tone had changed, and the intense urge to hold him washed over me. "What is it?"

His eyes of melted gold shifted my way. "Nothing, nothing. Just...keep your daydreams as those: dreams."

I nodded slowly. "Alright...I will."

Though our words ceased, our conversation was far from over. At least, on my end. What was his issue with daydreamers? Who didn't like dreaming in the day?

"Souichi—"

I froze as the blade of his knife pressed against my throat. The group of men behind us stopped as well, and I heard Hiroto gasp. "Angel!"

"Quiet," the one called Isogai said. I glanced over my shoulder to see him cover Hiroto's mouth with a gloved hand. "It's rude to interrupt."

My gaze returned to Souichi when Hiroto quieted. "What is it?"

"I don't remember letting you call me by my first name," he growled. "Do you, Morinaga?"

Gulping, I replied, "No..."

He nodded once and turned to the others. "Do any of you remember this?"

A unanimous 'no' rumbled through the crowd. Again I gulped.

"Ah, I see. Just making sure I'm not going deaf." He increased the pressure of the blade on my neck. "You will _not_ call me by my given name. Am I understood?"

I nodded as best I could, considering the knife at my throat. "Th-Then what do I call you?"

This time Isogai piped up. "Call him Senpai!" he called. "That's what everyone calls him!"

Souichi's head whipped to Isogai, and a growl rumbled from his throat. "Taichiro," he snapped.

He sighed and went quiet, but not before mumbling, "Do you have anything better for him to call you?"

At that, Souichi's porcelain cheeks gained a hint of color. My eyes widened, and my heart thrummed in my chest. He looked so...adorable...so innocent and sweet and cute…

A light coat of redness now covered my cheeks, too, and I gasped internally. As far as I could I moved away from him. If he felt it hit him…

Well, then calling him by his first name would be the least of my issues.


	5. Chapter 5

Though not nearly as extravagant as some places in the world, the little hideout the others and I called home served its purpose well. A fortress before half of it burned down during a battle between Metsudan and Reinorok, our hideout possessed enough rooms for all of us to sleep and live, plus about four extra. The exterior was derelict in appearance; a good thing, considering that we didn't want found by anyone with the power to arrest and/or execute us. Fire had blackened most of the external boards; the protective layer of stone surrounding the fortress crumbled in some places; one of the three towers that connected the walls together had toppled over completely long before we'd inhabited the place.

Prince Dickface and I stopped before the black gate that separated our group from the outside world, and the others behind us followed suit. "Unlock!" I shouted.

Moments later the gate slid open, and I smirked. At least they could do _something_ right. Shoving one hand into the pocket of my black pants, I led the way into the snow-laden courtyard, Morinaga at my side. Once we'd reached the middle of the courtyard, I turned to address the others.

"Lead the prisoner to the standard holding areas," I ordered. "The prince stays with me. Isogai, come to my rooms once you've finished."

That fucking overly-happy smile appeared, but thankfully it didn't stay on me for long. Instead, he turned it to the annoying ginger that Morinaga had probably been fucking in the carriage before we'd gotten to him. A sickening thought, but rumors of his homosexuality were rampant throughout both Metsudan and Reinorok. Which meant shame for the royal family and leverage for us.

"I'll make sure he's well-treated," Isogai promised.

"For once you have a good idea."

With that we parted ways. I grabbed Morinaga's wrist and tugged him from the courtyard to the interior warmth of the fortress. Up the stone steps we went, stopping when we reached a dark wooden door with a metal "S" attached to it. Being the leader of our group, I possessed three rooms—a bedroom, bathroom, and games room—and didn't have to share with others. Up until now, anyway. I didn't trust the others with Morinaga; they'd probably end up starving or killing him within the first day. Imbeciles, all of them.

Morinaga looked around the bedroom with a slight smile on his too-innocent face. "This is very simple...but it's extremely nice! So cozy and warm...I can tell you take pride in where you live."

Now it was my turn to smirk, allowing a bit of smugness to creep onto my lips. While no royal chamber, my bedroom did blow away the competition by far. It used to belong to the captain of the fortress, so it was only natural that I now resided within it. The bed could easily fit two people—not that it ever had—and the room itself was big enough to house a couch, full dining table, and even a fireplace. Considering how fucking cold it got in the winter, the last was a valuable asset to possess.

Kicking off my boots and removing my cloak, I said to Morinaga, "You'll stay in here with me until your ass is traded for ransom from Metsudan."

His smile widened to an almost disturbing size. It was so disturbing, in fact, that I turned away from him to hang up my bow and arrows.

"So...I'm sleeping with you?" he asked.

I tensed, and my cheeks grew hot as the words hit my ears. Had he really just...? "You...!" Balling my fist, I punched Morinaga hard enough to send him to the floor. He just barely caught himself on his elbows, one hand holding his bruising cheek. His hazel eyes gazed up at me, wide and—finally!—shocked.

"S-Senpai, what're you—?"

"Shut up!" I yelled. "You twisted son of a bitch—I'll kill you in your sleep!"

"W-Wait, calm down." He sat up and made a placating gesture with his hands. "What's wrong?"

"You know exactly what's wrong!" Gods, he was twisted _and_ stupid? What had he done to receive such a terrible combination? I grabbed him by the collar of his yellow shirt—pissed me off, it was so yellow—and yanked him up. Our foreheads touched, and my eyes bore thousands upon thousands of holes into his.

"N-No, I don't!" he insisted. "What made you so angry, Senpai?"

"You," I growled. My grip on his shirt white-knuckled. "I don't care if you're royalty or homeless—keep your fucking homosexuality to your goddamn self!"

His eyes widened even further than they had, and bright redness spread across his cheeks. "Y-You...h-how did you...when...?"

"Rumors spread like plagues among the lower class," I replied. I released his collar and threw him back. He stumbled a bit before standing properly. "To answer your question from earlier, _no_. You and I won't be sleeping together. You'll be sleeping there." I pointed to the couch. "I'm taking _my_ bed and sleeping by _myself_. Not with you."

He frowned, but he didn't express his depression verbally. "At least it's not the floor," he mumbled.

I smirked and snickered to myself. "I could have Taichiro occupy the couch, if you'd prefer the floor."

Hastily he shook his head, and even more hastily he said, "N-No, that's fine. I don't mind at all. Sleeping on the couch, I mean. It looks extremely comfortable."

I nodded. "I thought so." I deposited the rest of my belongings on my bed. "Your second duty aside from staying alive is acting as a maid of sorts for me. You'll clean, make food—the standard things a maid would do. Your first task is to put away my things for me."

Again he showed no depression. Hell, this time he smiled at me. "All right, Senpai, I will."

My gaze on him softened a bit out of curiosity. How could one go from confused to embarrassed to happy in a matter of a few minutes? What race was he? Certainly not a human. Or, at least, no human that I'd ever encountered before. Hmm...maybe he belonged to the same race as Isogai…

"You'd be wise not to fuck up," I replied.

"I won't!" Morinaga assured. "I'll make sure not to disappoint you."

Something in my gut told me that there was much more to the prince than I'd initially thought. Maybe this would be interesting after all…

Either that or it'd drive me to the brink of suicide.


	6. Chapter 6

"There," Isogai said with a smile. "All better, Morinaga."

I flashed him a grateful smile. The hit that Souichi—I couldn't bring myself to call him 'Senpai' in my head; not when his name felt and sounded so pretty—had provided me opened up a small cut on my cheek, which Isogai had patched up once he'd arrived. In stark contrast from Souichi, the blonde bandit was extremely friendly and kind. Why Souichi hated him was beyond me, especially since Isogai had seemingly done nothing to harm him. Then again, I had been here all of forty minutes. No one could judge the entire character of a person within forty minutes.

"Thank you, Isogai," I said. "I probably wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out."

Calling him 'Taichiro' wouldn't be right; not after we'd known each other for less than an hour. It was a common practice in Metsudan, referring to a person by his or her last name. A form of respect.

"So where's, um...where's Hiroto?"

"Hiroto..." he drawled. He looked off to the side and tapped his finger against his leg. His eyes lit up. "Ah, right! The ginger!" He shook his head. "I apologize, I tend not to remember names of prisoners. Anyway, he's in the standard prisoner's room. Or, rather, he was in there." He winked. "I convinced the guard to let me keep him in my room. Just so he's not totally violated and/or dismembered."

My smile dimmed a bit as the nature of our situation re-entered my mind. "Yes, that would pose an...issue."

Isogai laughed a little and nudged my shoulder, as if we'd been friends for years. "Don't worry too much, Morinaga. He'll be fine. They won't take him back unless he's relatively unharmed. But some of the others in this group are a bit, um...disregarding of those principles."

Nodding slowly, I rose from the bed. Most of my maid work had been completed prior to Isogai's arrival. I still had to fold and put away Souichi's clothing, though, before I could officially say that I'd completed my tasks. For a man with seemingly so much dignity, he was quite messy—a prime example of why I couldn't judge his character in a mere forty minutes. At least it didn't reflect in his outward appearance.

Well, even then he'd be more attractive than each of my past lovers combined into one.

"By the way, Morinaga, I've been meaning to ask: why does the ginger call you Angel?"

I smiled faintly as I folded one of Souichi's shirts. "Ah, that. He's called me that since we were thirteen. His reasoning's that when he met me he thought that I was an angel because I was so kind to everyone." My smile widened. "I suppose that's not entirely untrue, but...comparing me to something like that seems a bit excessive."

I heard a rumple of clothing from behind me. A shrug. "I can see where he gets it. Not only your personality, but also your appearance."

I glanced at him over my shoulder. "What do you mean?"

Another shrug. "Well, look at you. You're fairly innocent-looking, much like angels are depicted as being." He smirked at me.

Glancing away, I resumed folding Souichi's clothes. "I'm, um...not interested, sorry..."

Isogai remained silent for a few moments, and just as I thought he'd remain that way for the rest of our time together, he chuckled. "I apologize for the ambiguity of my words. I'm not interested in you, Morinaga, nor the ginger, nor anyone with a penis."

I blushed a bit. "I-I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Ah, don't apologize. It's not your fault, Morinaga." He shifted his position, probably to lay on his back atop Souichi's massive bed.

We remained silent for a bit of time. I folded the seemingly endless waves of Souichi's clothing and Isogai, I assumed, dozed lightly. Once I'd completed my task, I shut the drawer to the dresser and returned to the bed to sit next to Isogai. My gaze on the door next to us, I drummed my fingers on my leg. He seemed to know quite a bit about Souichi...hmm... "I-Isogai?" I asked.

Much to my surprise, he readily turned his head to gaze up at me. "What is it?"

Again hesitation crawled into my chest and made a cozy little home atop my vocal cords. A swallow tore down its house, however, thoroughly evicting it. "Well...what are So—Senpai's interests? Romantically."

Isogai scoffed with a snicker. "Nonexistent," he replied. "I don't know if they ever have been. He claims he's fucked a few whores, but I don't believe he's been in any relationships that involved feelings. Other than pleasure, of course."

I nodded slowly, using all of my effort to keep my heart from bursting. I didn't know why I thought he would be pure; Souichi was about as old as I was, after all. But the thought of him in bed with a woman...it tempted my stomach and tested its ability to hold what I'd eaten earlier. How could a man who looked so adorable _not_ be a virgin?!

"You look surprised," Isogai commented. "Is there a reason for that?"

I shook my head. "No, it's just...I don't know...surprising."

"The fact that he has urges at all amazes me. He always talks about how relationships are a waste of time and only distract from things, yet he's had a few loose ones here and there. None recently, though. I think the last little encounter he had was when he was eighteen. Seven years later, here he is." He tilted his head to the side. "Maybe that's why he's so pissed all the time. He's frustrated."

I nodded slowly. That _could_ contribute to it... "So what are his interests, then, if not other people?"

He shrugged. "Money. Booze. Money and booze."

"What about the arts? Reading, writing...?"

His face grew grim. "Neither. He has interest in neither." He rose from the bed. "Look, if you want to know more about him, you should probably just ask him directly. You may get a broken window and a few cuts, but you'll get a lot more out of him than you will me." He linked his arms behind his head as he walked away. "I'll leave you to ponder how you can open his mouth."

Without much in the way of goodbye, Isogai left the room.

I plopped down on the side of the bed and rested my head in my hands, staring at the floor. No interest in reading and writing...but he carried himself so well...surely someone that composed would have at least _some_ interest in the arts, wouldn't he?

He was harboring some sort of secret; I could feel it.

* * *

A few hours passed, yet Souichi still hadn't returned from wherever he'd went. I'd busied myself with whatever I could, but at this point nervousness crept through my veins. I currently sat on the bedside, tapping my fingers against my leg to bring some sound into the otherwise silent room. Outside the window at the other end of the room, the sun drifted lazily toward the horizon, bathing the sky in an orange light.

"Morinaga!" a slurred voice shouted.

I glanced up to widen my eyes at the sight that awaited me in the doorway. Leaning against the doorway, Souichi gulped what I assumed was wine from a bottle as if he'd been in a desert for the past week. Though it was flushed in an _adorable_ shade of red, I didn't stare at his face. Rather, my eyes were drawn to his unlaced tunic, particularly what it was meant to cover. While not overly muscular, his body was slender and toned. _He twitched and tensed under my touch, a light sheen coating his slender form as I stroked my way down his body…_

Heat filled my cheeks, and I shook my head to rid it of those lewd thoughts. He'd probably stab me eight times before I could touch him once…

But that's what fantasies were for, weren't they?

"Do you want something?" I asked.

Souichi pulled the bottle away from his lips and belched. Following a few coughs, he replied, "I want...a few things..." He slammed the door shut with a glare, mumbling "Fucking door..." before shuffling toward the bed. He half-fell next to me, and as soon as he was stable the bottle returned to his lips. I gazed at him as he drank, more than a little enraptured by the movements of his throat. _If only those lips could be wrapped around another kind of neck...one that was attached to me…_

Again I shook my head. Gods, I was blowing things far out of proportion…

"Why're you sayin' no so much?"

I glanced at the drunken bandit next to me. "W-What do you mean?"

He belched again and wiped his mouth. "Yer shakin' yer head lots...fer why?"

It took me a moment for the question to register. "Oh...uh, well..." My voice trailed off, and I stared at my lap. I _could_ say that I was saying no to my thoughts…

Something cold pressed against my cheek. I looked up to see Souichi's wine bottle an inch from my face. "Want some?"

I was going to reject, but he pressed it against me once more, harder this time. So I took the bottle from his drunken hands and pretended to take a sip.

"Stop bein' a pussy," Souichi grumbled. He placed a hand on the bottle and practically shoved it down my throat. "Drink like a person!"

The bitter liquid surged down my throat without restraint. I coughed and sputtered around the neck of the bottle, and once Souichi pulled it away from my lips, intense hacking ensued. Rather than a dry chuckle, Souichi cackled with an arm thrown over his eyes.

"You _are_ royal!" he half-screamed.

I wiped my mouth. "I'm just not used to having it poured down my mouth by force," I muttered.

He scoffed. "Fuckin' lies, all 'em." He lifted the bottle over his mouth, his tongue outstretched. A few drips of wine landed upon his tongue. He stared disappointedly at the bottle before dropping it on the floor. "Ge' more," he grumbled.

I blinked at him. "More wine? Don't you think you've—?"

"Shu'up!" he interrupted. "Do it."

I opened my mouth to protest, then shut it with a sigh. "Where?"

He gestured to the door. "'s two doors down in a lil' closet. Key's shoved 'n a hole."

With a slow nod I left his bedroom. I followed his drunken directions to a slender door not far from where I'd been moments before. A tiny hole resided next to the closet, and with careful fingers I plucked a key from it. Once the door was unlocked, I was greeted by three shelves at which I stared flatly. Blue bottles occupied the bottom shelf, green in the middle, and brown on the top, but there were labels on none of them. Shrugging, I plucked a brown bottle from the top shelf. He was drunk as hell; I'm sure it wouldn't matter to him what I got.

I locked the closet door and hid the key in the hole. It was a rather smart idea that he had, hiding away his personal stash of alcohol from the others. It probably would've all been gone otherwise.

When I returned to the bedroom, the trip to get the wine was almost in vain.

Shirtless and shoeless, Souichi dozed peacefully on his fur-laden bed. His body was sprawled across it lazily, his silvery blonde hair all askew. My heart thumped in my chest; my member twitched a little in my pants; seemingly of their own volition my legs transported me to the bedside, where I leaned over him. I pressed my forehead against his, and easily my eyes glazed over with lust. He looked so beautiful, even more than he did already.

With gentle fingers I tilted his head to the side, and with painful slowness I inched my lips toward his own…

His eyelids twitched and started to peel back. I recoiled and cleared my throat.

"The fuck...?" Souichi mumbled.

"Y-You're up," I stammered.

He stared at me with glassy eyes, eyes which cleared once recognition seeped into them. "Ah, right...you..." Yawning, Souichi sat up in bed. I moved over to accommodate him. "Gimme 'at," he grumbled, snatching the brown bottle from my hand. Popping off the cork, he tilted the bottle back and sucked down the liquid inside. Mere seconds later, however, he pulled it away and coughed.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

Once he'd finished coughing, he mumbled, "Tastes like shit." He narrowed his eyes at the bottle, more in confusion than in hatred. "Prolly old as fuck..." Despite his words, he continued drinking it anyway.

I stared at him as he drank. "So...where did your shirt go?"

He pulled the bottle away from his lips and glanced around. "Dunno. 's around somewhere." He placed the bottle between his legs and undid the ribbon keeping his hair tied back. "'t had shit on it, so I threw 't somewhere."

I nodded slowly. "Good reason."

"'s why I did it." When he drained the bottle, he tossed it across the room. As one would expect from a glass bottle, it shattered upon impact. Glass scattered about the corner of the room in pieces large and small. "Clean 'at," he mumbled, turning on his side away from me. "'m tired..."

Before I could protest or question him, soft snores moved in and out of him. With a sigh I rose from the bed and gathered the cleaning supplies I'd used earlier.

Well, at least he hadn't broken it over my head.


	7. Chapter 7

I would have awoken in the morning like a normal person, but the loud thud and surprisingly quiet "Fuck!" that followed were a bit hard to sleep through. So with a groan I forced my eyelids open, and with all of the effort I could gather I kept them open. Rubbing one to occupy myself, I rose a bit on the admittedly comfortable couch, propped up on my elbow. I yawned and glanced over my shoulder at whatever had caused the thud.

To my surprise, it was a _whoever._

Curled in a drunken ball beside the bed was Souichi. He grumbled curses under his breath for a few moments, but before he could throw something out a window, peaceful snores escaped his mouth. I stared at him blankly; gods, he _was_ drunk…

No matter how adorable what had just occurred was, I couldn't just leave him like that. Throwing off the fur blanket Souichi had provided me earlier, I rose from the couch and crouched next to him. I took him in my arms—he was surprisingly light—and stood once more.

But I didn't put him down. Instead, I stared at him.

Even if it was just from alcohol, the bandit leader's cheeks were apple-red, and even though he was around my age, he looked so much younger. A soft smile appeared on my otherwise tired face; so cute... I placed him on his bed and lay next to him, my head resting on my arm as my opposite hand stroked his flushed cheek. In my twenty-three years, I'd never met someone with the occupation of bandit that looked so...normal. Ethereal, even. And I'd run into at least five bandits a month since I was allowed to travel in royal caravans with my family. Every bandit that had tried to rob, capture, and/or kill us had been at least twice Souichi's age with double the body mass and five times the facial hair. And yet Hiroto and I had gotten captured by the gentlest one.

Then again, there were only three of us and one had been killed.

But it wasn't as if I minded being captured by this bandit. It had only been a day, yes, but...I felt like I could easily trust Souichi and Isogai. The latter had patched up a cut given to me by the former, after all, and the former had given me a place to stay that wasn't a prison cell.

I shifted my position so my body covered the bandit's, and with little hesitance I pressed my lips to his.

And thus ignited the flames of desire.

My tongue slithered out of its cage and into the one Souichi unknowingly supplied. Accompanied by a sigh, a moan danced its way from my mouth and into his. Tingles massaged my body with gentle hands, focusing mainly to redden my face and harden my member. No longer bound by the principles of decency, the lewd, licentious side of me shrouded the normal one's eyes and bound its appendages to a wall. Within moments I'd shift into a completely different person, one many had known as a master of arousal.

In the fleeting moments of reality that I had, I pulled back and looked around for a long strand of some material that wasn't easily breakable. My glazing-over eyes landed upon a dark strand of cloth that sat amid the weaponry and supplies sprawled about the nightstand. I snatched it quickly. Pressing both of Souichi's wrists together, I wrapped the cloth around them as tightly as I could without cutting off circulation. Once I was sure he couldn't break free if he awoke, I tied another, larger knot around one of the many bars that made up his headboard.

I leaned back on my heels to examine my work.

Now that his arms were up, his toned body was stretched out beneath me, begging, _pleading_ , "Take me...take me now...!"

What kind of hostage would I be if I didn't obey my captor's orders?

Once more I leaned down, this time to pepper my lips across his cheek. Following a brief journey, I reached my destination and burrowed my face in his neck. I nuzzled the area lovingly, tenderly, as I marked his beautiful skin with even more beautiful bites. Ah, those would be beautiful to gaze at in the morning… I licked the minor wounds I'd caused him, then trailed my tongue down his neck and across his chest. I'd wait a bit to play with his nipples; even if they _were_ calling to me…

I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the side. My boxers followed shortly after. Unsurprisingly, my member had gone fully erect, and all desire and want in my body pulsed hard in my heart. Usually I would make sure to take ample time worshiping my partner's body before I went anywhere near his insides. But Souichi was so beautiful...worshiping him could come later. I wanted—no, _needed_ to be inside of him before my member burst. Lust cast a glittery veil over my closed eyes, and images flashed across my eyelids; sweet-scented candles and sweat-covered bodies; cheerful laughs and cries of pleasure; men in the nude and moans in the night…

" _What in the fuck are you doing?!_ "

I jumped with a shriek at the murderous voice. His teeth bared like a wolf and eyes narrowed into fiery slits, Souichi lay fully awake underneath me. His face was flushed like earlier, and his breathing came in pants.

"S-Senpai, I—"

"Answer me, shitbag! Why am I restrained and naked?! And why're _you_ naked?! And why can't I move my body?!"

I stammered out something, but it was nowhere near close to an intelligible response.

"Untie me, you fuckface! _Now_!"

Barely out of my daze of lust and shock, I did as instructed. As soon as his wrists were free, Souichi lunged for me. I tensed and awaited severe bludgeoning, awaited blood to fly from my mouth and various other areas of my body until nothing remained but a skeleton and a few remnants of skin.

But neither of those things happened. When I opened my eyes and relaxed my body, I found a pitiful but extremely adorable sight before me. Facedown and grumbling to himself, Souichi lay across the mattress, his head lowered over the edge. I couldn't hold back a smile, nor a small laugh.

"Don't fucking move," he growled, lifting his head slowly but threateningly. "I _will_ make you regret your birth…" Shakily he pulled himself up to a crouch, but rather than make me regret my birth, he simply sat there and stared at his fist. "What is this…?"

I stared at him. "S-Senpai—"

He pointed at me. "Where'd you get that bottle?"

I blinked. "What?"

"I asked you to get me more booze earlier, didn't I?"

I nodded slowly.

"Which shelf did you take it from?" When I didn't reply immediately, he snapped, "Answer me!"

I winced. "Uh...the top one…"

His eyes widened, and the redness staining his cheeks grew. "That...the top…" He glared at me. "You son of a bitch—that was the drug shelf!"

"The...the what?"

"The bottles were organized by what they were." He rubbed his eyes, and I could see sweat trickling down the side of his head. "The bottom was beer, the middle was wine, and the top was drugs." His glare intensified. "You slipped me an aphrodisiac. Didn't you?"

"Ah...well…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "I suppose…"

He growled.

"B-But I didn't know!" I protested. "I didn't know it was a drug. None of them were labeled."

He glanced away. "Still...you should've matched the bottle with the one I'd had!"

I simply stared at him. The effects of the drug must have circulated quicker when awake. His body twitched every few moments; half the blood in his body was in his cheeks; sweat glistened atop his porcelain skin. He couldn't fight me. He couldn't harm me. He had no reason to...no ability to…

Like a bear I tackled him onto the bed, and I crashed my lips against his in the most forceful kiss I'd given anyone in a long time. His muffled protests fell on deaf ears. I spread his toned legs apart and pressed my tip to his entrance. I pulled away from his lips and pressed my forehead to his, my lustful eyes gazing deeply into his wide ones.

"You...you're not actually going to do this, are you?" he asked. His tone grew a bit hysterical as I pressed a bit further into him. "Hey, Morinaga! W-What the fuck're you...s-stop! This place...shit goes out of it, not in!"

I continued staring into his lovely eyes.

"I...I can't just forgive you for this! I'll...I'll have you killed if you go further!"

My eyebrows rose a little at that. My rational side almost pulled away, but my seductive side merely smirked. "You'd do it even if I stopped here." I rammed into him in one movement.

Souichi threw his head back and screeched like a banshee. He pinched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, tiny, helpless sounds bubbling from his throat. I stared down at him with nausea in my eyes. He was in pain. Severe pain. In my lust I'd forgotten that he was a virgin. Not only had I forced myself into him when he wasn't relaxed, I'd forgotten to prepare him. Shit...I'd been doing this for five years, yet I fucked up something so obvious...gods, I was stupid...stupid and reckless…

"Out," Souichi whispered. "Get out! Take it out, it burns!"

I blinked down at him. "Sen—"

"Out, for fuck's sake, out! Get out! _Get out_!"

I should've. I wanted to. And I did. But just before I could pull out fully, I plunged back inside. I shook my head after that thrust and promised myself that I'd really get out this time. But again, I didn't. No matter how much I steeled my resolve, I could manage to pull out of him. Not fully, anyway. I just kept thrusting and thrusting and thrusting...until finally I burst within him. Souichi's screaming reached octaves I hadn't thought humanly possible, but they ceased when his voice cracked.

Silence filled the room.

I pulled out of him slowly, carefully, so I wouldn't harm him any further. Souichi had his arms crossed over his eyes, but even though I couldn't see it, I knew he was crying. Heavily. Maybe not on the outside, but he bawled like an infant on the inside.

"You're all monsters," he whispered. "All of your cocksuckers are demons...beasts...monsters…" He sniffled. "I hope you die in a fire…!"

I couldn't retort in any way, physically or verbally. So instead I just sat there, stared at the mattress, and prayed to the gods that I'd wake up from this terrible nightmare.


	8. Chapter 8

Everything hurt.

My eyes hurt from crying; my brain hurt from thinking; my heart hurt from pounding; worst of all, my body hurt from fucking. Or, rather, from being fucked.

I don't know why I trusted him. Or, at least, thought that trusting him could be a possibility in the first place. He was innocent enough earlier yesterday, but a beast laid in wait behind that facade. A dark, ghastly beast that didn't have any form of consideration or care for the feelings or integrity of others. All of them were like that. Those attracted to their own gender always tore through the world as if consequences didn't exist. And they wondered why the rest of society looked down on them with bitterness and spite…

Like a mindless slave I slid on my dark green tunic, my actions numb and without any form of want behind them. It hurt to move. Hell, it hurt to stand. That damn prince...and he'd been such a compliant captive, too…

I wondered briefly if his compliance would return when the noose wrapped around his neck and he hung from the fortress's battlements.

A sharp but tentative succession of knocks sounded on the door. "Tatsumi." It was Isogai.

"What do you want?" I grumbled.

"I'm heading into town."

"Why?"

"A few blades need repaired."

I picked up a comb from the floor of the washroom and dragged it through my hair. "All right. Don't be gone long, though."

"Is something wrong?" he asked. "You sound terrible."

I stared at myself in the mirror once I'd finished combing. I couldn't exactly tell him what had happened… "Nothing's wrong," I muttered. "I'm fine. Just...didn't sleep well last night."

"You got drunk last night, didn't you?"

I glared at the door. "Shut up, Isogai."

He sighed. "Always so guarded. Ah, well. I should be back around noon. Try not to hang anyone while I'm gone." His retreating footsteps alerted me to his leaving.

I smirked faintly at his comment.

After I'd slung my quiver over my shoulder and gripped my bow in my hand, I kicked open the washroom door. Prince Dickface had lain across my bed when I'd dragged myself out of it, and he still did lay there. But he was awake now, and a look of terror marked his features.

"Get up," I ordered.

"S-Senpai, I—"

Before he could continue, I'd already pulled out an arrow and drawn it back to my ear. "Get your ass up," I repeated. When he still tried to stammer out some words, I shouted, "Now!"

With the speed of a crippled snail, Morinaga rose from my bed and lifted his arms where I could see them. He swallowed, and panic was visible across his features. In any other case, I may have felt merciful upon seeing such a fearful look. But a beast lay behind that fearful look.

I lowered my bow and placed my arrow back into its quiver. With a glare holding the intensity of a million blizzards, I stalked over to Morinaga. He may have been a few inches taller than me, but grabbing him by his bluish-black hair and dragging his ass out of the room was as easy as doing the same to a child. Morinaga grunted and stumbled in speech a few times, and I could feel him struggling.

"You move any more and I'll rip out each hair in your head," I snapped.

He ceased after that.

By the time we'd reached the battlements, I'd released his hair, restrained him with cloth, and shoved him onto the snow-covered stone. Morinaga curled in on himself after a few moments, his face twisted in a grimace and his body wracked with shivers. Understandable, though. He was still naked, after all.

"If you try to escape, I'll cut off your dick," I threatened.

I heard a whimper escape Morinaga, and while he did still twist about, he didn't try to rise to his feet or attack me. Rage clouding my eyes, I grabbed a long piece of nearby rope and tied a noose. Usually someone else did this, but I didn't want anyone interfering with my doings. Once I was sure the damn thing wouldn't fall apart—though I wouldn't be completely completely disappointed if the noose snapped and he fell to his death—I looped it around his neck and pulled him to his feet.

"S-Senpai, please," Morinaga begged. "I didn't mean it! I just—"

"You just what?!" I spat. "You just did it to do it?!"

Morinaga's swallow was audible. "I...I never meant to hurt you, Senpai...I just...couldn't resist you when you were in that state!"

I narrowed my eyes at him once we'd stopped. "Couldn't resist," I muttered. "Bullshit. You didn't _try_ to resist. You didn't _want_ to resist. You did what you did intentionally and you fucking know it!" I tightened the noose's hold on his neck. "I told you to keep your thoughts as thoughts, didn't I?" I growled. "Didn't I?!"

"Y-Yes," he replied in a strangled voice.

"Then why didn't you?!"

He stayed silent for a few moments. "I don't...I can't reply…"

I scoffed. "Of course you can't."

"Souichi!" I tilted my head downward. Standing in the courtyard with two bandits around him was Isogai. "What the hell are you doing?!"

I stared down at him. "He attacked me," I responded. "Captive law states that I can harm or kill him if I want."

"How did he attack you?"

I paused, and a slight redness crept onto my cheeks. "He tried to stab me." Not that much of an exaggeration. "So I'm going to hang him."

"And just disregard the ransom money?" Isogai questioned. "Have you forgotten why we're keeping him here in the first place, Souichi?"

"What?"

"If you kill him, we won't get nearly as much ransom money for him. Not only that, we'll have an army of royal guards and soldiers on our asses faster than you can get pissed at them. You're these men's leader, Souichi. Even if you hate all of us, can you really bear the thought of all of them dying? All because of your irrationality?"

My resolve weakened with each word that spewed from his mouth. Very reluctantly, my hand started to release its hold on the rope's fibers. I did hate most everyone in my bandit ring, but...tyrannical as I was, I couldn't bring myself to be responsible for their deaths. Or anyone's death, for that matter.

"Fine," I replied. I untied the noose and threw the rope onto the stone floor. "You can go into town, Isogai. I won't harm him."

"I don't trust you," he replied. "I'll be meeting you in the assembly room in a few minutes. In the meantime, compose yourself. And give the man some clothes. He's turning blue."

I rolled my eyes at his comment. Gripping Morinaga's wrist, I dragged him back inside the fortress.

I supplied Morinaga with undergarments and a cloak that had survived one too many winters before taking him to the assembly room. Back in the fortress's days of being an actual fortress, this room was used for battle planning, evidenced by the maps and markers that we currently kept in a box. In the fortress's days of being a bandit hideout, however, this room was used as a meeting place, whether for strategy or just announcements.

Isogai sat in the chair at the foot of the table, his companions standing on either side of him. I sat opposite Isogai, at the head, and pointed to the nearest wall. "Get over there," I ordered. "And stay over there."

Morinaga sheepishly backed away from the table and leaned against the wall, his eyes downcast.

I turned to Isogai. "What?"

"You're not killing him," he said bluntly.

"I said I wouldn't."

"You say you won't do a lot of things." He pointed to Morinaga. "I don't want him in your room anymore."

"I don't disagree with that." I leaned back in my seat. "So what do you suggest, then? Or, rather, where do you suggest? I think that a bear den would be fitting for him."

Isogai's flat gaze didn't gain any form of shape. "The bears are in hibernation, Souichi, so he wouldn't be torn apart even if he went into one."

"I can dream," I grumbled.

"And you can also listen. I suggest that we do what we usually do with captives. Put them together in a cell. We'll move the prince from your room to his companion's cell. That'd solve two of our problems." I quirked a brow. "The ginger's been wailing and begging that he see Morinaga every minute of every hour. It's been only a day since we captured them, but gods, I think I'll hang _myself_ from the battlements if I have to hear it any longer."

I smirked a little. "All right. We'll move him down there." I rose from my seat. "And we'll keep him down there until the family of noble bastards send for his ass." I strolled toward the door. "Before you go into town, get him to Prissy-Ass's cell. And while you're in town, pick up some cigarettes."

"Want us to start hinting at Morinaga's capture?" one of the bandit companions asked

I stared at him over my shoulder. "Are you new here? We've had him for a day—no, you don't hint at his capture yet! Standard protocol is this: if someone sends for him or tries to find him that you know of, we negotiate with that person while trying to suck them dry. If that doesn't happen within the first month of capture, _then_ you start hinting around at his capture. Dumbass."

I threw open the door to the assembly room. Once I reached it, I unlocked my alcohol closet and grabbed about five bottles of the strongest shit I had. I didn't care if it was only eleven in the morning; I planned on getting as drunk as my body would allow and staying that way for at least five days.


	9. Chapter 9

Everything hurt.

My head pounded; my heart stung; my body ached.

The cell I'd been given wasn't as bad as it could've been. The castle cells were far worse than this. But it was dark, the only light shining in from a dim torch outside. A constant stream of water dripped down from the corner of the cell. The mattress on the floor served as my bed, a slab of rock compared to Souichi's couch. Scents of mold and stale ale were my only companions, save for the occasional guard that brought food that could barely pass as horse feed at the castle.

Why didn't I restrain myself? Why didn't I just keep my fantasies as those: fantasies? I knew doing something like that to someone like him was dangerous...but he was so _pretty_! And I knew pretty. I'd had dozens of lovers, all of whom had gentle, innocent, sometimes even androgynous features. Souichi wasn't totally androgynous, but he was far more beautiful than any lover I'd ever called mine in the past. I couldn't just ignore him in such a vulnerable state!

But even so...I should've waited. I should've gotten him to trust me before doing anything that brash. Maybe then I'd still be with him. Maybe then I could get him to feel the same.

I thought this every day, every week that I remained locked in this cell. I fell deep into regret, and that's when I started thinking. They were holding me for ransom. Hiroto would probably get bought back; his family was a caring bunch. Not only that, but I'd heard some whispers from the guards that messengers were expected to arrive with word from his family in the next few days.

My family, however...the very reason I had been sent away in the first place was because of the scandal. Surely they were concerned that we hadn't arrived home yet, but even if they found out where we were, they wouldn't want to take me back. Not happily, anyway.

A lantern had shattered one night, and in an unstable mental state I'd procured a glass shard before all of them could be cleaned. I at first wanted to drive the shard deep into my wrists, but luckily I became aware of myself and my thoughts before I could. Suicide wouldn't help anything. I was young, and I still had so much to live for. No, killing myself wasn't the way out of this situation, nor the one I expected if I returned home.

But escape was.

The mattress I called my bed wasn't a very comfortable one, as I could sometimes feel the wooden base poking me through the fabric. In a burst of craftiness I'd wiggled one of these wooden sticks out from the base. It was thick enough to hold without breaking, but it was thin enough to fit through small holes.

I waited a few days before I'd gathered the courage. Midnight had struck, and the guards had left, valuing sleep over their prisoners. Using the wooden pick I'd acquired, I started to fiddle with the cell lock. It was an awkward operation, as the lock was on the outside but I was within the cell. One of the stablehands I'd had relations with in the past had described how to pick locks once before, but that was nearly two years ago, and only bits of the conversation flashed through my head now.

The heavy wooden door at the end of the hallway creaked open, and hastily I assumed the position of a sleeping man. A fist banged on the bars, and I feigned just waking up from sleep. Isogai stood on the other side of the bars, roughly dressed and darkly eyed. "Get up," he told me. "You're wanted."

I blinked but obeyed without saying a word. He unlocked my cell door, and I followed him out into the hall. He placed chains around my wrists to limit my movement, and he was about to fetter my ankles before deciding against it. Rather, he nodded forward and led me out of the dungeon. I stared at the back of his head as we walked. What was this? Had the messengers arrived? Were they here for me? Was I going home?

Rather than outside, as I had expected, Isogai stopped before a door that seemed vaguely familiar. He pushed the door open, and I widened my eyes at the sight that awaited me.

The figure leaning over the table had his back to us, but his silvery-blonde hair gave him away easily. "Leave him," Souichi ordered.

"Do you want the chains still on him?" Isogai asked.

"What do you think?"

Without another word, Isogai left the room.

Souichi turned to me, still leaning back on the table. His hair cascaded down his back and over his shoulders, and his eyes weren't shielded by glass, leaving his citrine eyes in full view. Despite his sleep-ready head, he was still clad in day clothes.

We stared at one another. His gaze was cold, but it wasn't a hateful cold. Rather, it was a reluctant cold, the type of cold one gave when one had to ask for help from someone disliked.

Then again, I supposed that was fitting.

Moments ticked by, yet he still said nothing. By the way his lips twisted back and forth, however, he had something to say. He just didn't want to say it.

"Uh...is there...something you want…?" I questioned.

"I...need a favor," he grated out.

I blinked, and though I knew I wasn't going to do anything for him that I had fantasized about, my heart still thumped a little harder at the words.

"What is it?" I asked.

He sighed and drummed his fingers across the table. His eyes stared at his fingers. "I need you to write something. A letter, posing as the head of the patrol in charge of the forest. Their sentries are harassing my men, and it's difficult to complete our tasks with them requesting tolls."

I furrowed my brow. "Why do I need to do it?" I asked. "Can't you?"

Souichi hesitated, and though it was quick and jumbled, I heard him mumble, "Metsudanian language."

I stared at him. "You...can you write in Metsudanian?"

His lips twisted and his eyes remained on the table. "Vaguely," he answered with extreme hesitance.

Realization dawned upon me. I knew I'd heard a slight accent in his voice. He was Reinorok-born. It was a territory of ours, but for most of history it had been a completely separate cultural area. Our languages sounded similar to one another, but in the written word they were completely different. I should've known that he hadn't learned to write Metsudanian, even if he did live in it. His mannerisms meant that he'd grown up poor, or at least without a huge focus on education. In any case, it was clear: he didn't know how to read nor write.

My heart thudded as an idea popped into my head. It was dangerous, and it could potentially result in my death, but at the same time…

"Do you want to?"

He glanced up at me. "What?"

"Do you want to learn how to read?"

He shrugged. "I don't see the point. It doesn't require much reading to be a bandit."

I gripped the chains around my wrists. I had to coerce him; he wouldn't agree any other way. "Yes, but what if you want to expand?"

"Expand? Into what?"

"Bigger crimes," I replied. "Ones that require more than just force and planning. What if you want to start a second branch of your group here? You'd have to communicate with them, wouldn't you?"

"I could have someone else do it," he countered.

"Would you really trust them to do it right, though?"

At that his expression changed. He was thinking now, thinking more than he'd have to do in order to come up with a retort. "I could solve the issue by going there in person."

"But what if it gets dangerous? What if the forest sentries or another group knows who you are and wants to hurt or kill you? You aren't exactly easily-forgotten."

His gaze shot to me. "What do you mean by that?"

 _You're beautiful,_ I thought.

"You're easily memorable," I said. "Your hair could give you away easily."

"I could cut it off."

"They could remember your face."

"I could wear a mask."

"They could rip it off."

He stared at me, tongue in cheek. With a sigh he turned, and he leaned against the table once more. "What payment form?"

"Payment?"

"It wouldn't feel right to do it for free," he elaborated. "So how do I pay you?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. I only wanted to do it so I could spend time with him again. Payment...a smile flashed across my face before I calmed my expression once more. I approached him from behind and whispered, "Unchain me and I'll tell you."

I felt him stiffen though we didn't touch, and with extreme reluctance he unlocked my chains. They fell to the floor, and I rubbed my wrists.

"Now what do you want in return?" he asked.

"Something we could both benefit from," I replied. I placed my hand on the table and stroked my thumb across his hand. To my surprise, he didn't jerk away. Merely, he stiffened further. I lowered my voice and murmured tenderly. "You."

He scoffed. "What nonsensical bullshit are you—?"

I cupped his cheek and kissed him. My arm wrapped around his waist, and I pinned him against me as I deepened our lips' embrace. His hand fisted in my shirt, and though he struggled I could tell he was tired. Extremely so. Our size difference helped, too; he was athletically built, but I was stronger. I lay him on his back upon the table, pressing myself between his spread legs. He let out a muffled sound of protest, and his struggling became a bit more effortful. He unfisted his hand, attempting to push me off. It was an odd gesture, though, since he pushed from my abdomen.

I forced my tongue through his lips and dominated his, letting myself groan at the little noises that he made. Something pressed against my lower body, and I smiled against his lips. That wasn't mine; he was enjoying this.

I stiffened and softened at the feeling of cold metal against my throat. I pulled back and gazed into his burning eyes. "I will kill you," he panted. "I will slit your throat and hang you from the battlements."

Most would panic at this situation, but lust turned rationality into bravery, sometimes the foolish variety. "I don't doubt you," I replied. "You almost did it before."

"Then why...that?" he spat.

"Because I know you won't do it." I leaned down and nipped at his ear. He increased the pressure against my neck. "You won't kill me. If you did, you'd be out of a ransom that would be worth more than all the ones you've ever collected before. Not only that, but you'd also get put to death if anyone found out."

"No one would find out," he growled.

"No one from the outside," I agreed. "But what about here? What about your ring?" My tongue darted out to swirl around his ear once more. The knife remained at my throat, but it didn't remain threatening. "Here's what'll happen if you kill me: Metsudan will put out a bounty for anyone who can find the prince's killer. One of your men finds out about this. One of your men starts to question, 'Why am I here? Why am I taking orders from this person who despises me? He doesn't deserve riches. But _I_ do.' So one day in the woods you go out hunting. He climbs a tree, saying that he'll take watch from above. You agree, and you start searching for prey. But you realize too late that _you_ are the prey, a realization you make when there's an arrow sticking out of your back."

I lifted my head and pressed my forehead to his. An emotion I'd never expected to see appeared on his face: _fear._ He knew I was right. And that made me smile.

"So what'll it be?" I asked. "Your body for knowledge? Or your head for money?"

He held my gaze for only a few moments before his hand went trembly. He swallowed, and with a heavy breath he swung the knife—

Straight into the table.

I smiled. "Excellent. We can start lessons tomorrow." My voice lowered once more. "But for tonight, I want payment in advance."


	10. Chapter 10

After the bottle was dryer than the bones of an elderly man, I threw it at the nearest stone wall. Fucking prince and his royal persuasion...why did the bastard have to be right? Why did he have to think everything through? Why couldn't he have just given in, like all sensible people woul dhave? But most of all, why didn't I fight harder? Hell, why didn't I kill him? I could've thrown him into the woods and let him freeze to death. Then I could make it look like his stupidity killed him…

But _no_ , the fucker just _had_ to point out the future loss of ransom and probable mutiny! He _had_ to think a massive circle around me! He _had_ to make me defenseless and clueless!

I should've threatened him more, should've threatened him more harshly. I could've at least negotiated better. I usually would never have given in to something like that. No sane non-abomination would ever agree to the terms he'd set. Especially not the one relating to payment in advance.

But what choice did I have? He looked ready to tear me in two on the table! He was completely different than the prince we'd taken prisoner a few weeks ago. Rather than happiness and cheeriness, he radiated dominance and power. Hell, he radiated _royalty_. Royalty that could've torn me open and violated every part of my insides...just like before…

I shook my head and cracked open another bottle of alcohol. No, I couldn't go back to that. That was eight years ago, far in the past. No need to go back now.

Two more bottles later, I was just numb enough to go along with Morinaga's conditions and not run away. At least this way I wouldn't be able to differentiate hangover from bodily pain. I'd managed to escape him, at least for a few minutes. The bastard was ready to go in the office, on the table, but I'd convinced him to move to a section of the fortress that we didn't use due to a lack of need. At least there my image wouldn't be excessively tarnished. No one would know about what was occurring except for us.

But that was two people too many.

He waited for me in an empty, unused bedroom. Isogai once called this space his, but he moved in order to be closer to me for security purposes. I missed the days when he was away from me; he now roomed a few doors down and annoyed me daily. But that was a heavenly occurrence compared to what awaited me.

Morinaga's shirt already lay on the floor, and the sight of his bare torso made the alcohol in my stomach want to spew from my mouth. His dark hazel eyes stared at me darkly. A chill ran through my body. His royal side hadn't left yet.

"You're drunk," he observed. His tone was deceptively disinterested.

Shit, was it that obvious? I was barely swaying, and I hadn't spoken yet. Fucker had to be magical…

"'s that a problem?" I asked. My speech didn't even sound that slurred! I must've been building a tolerance to ale.

He shrugged. "I'd prefer you sober," he replied. "But...at least you'll be more reactive this way."

I took an involuntary step toward the door. I'd rarely felt fearful of anyone in the past, but for reasons I couldn't decipher he was terrifying me.

The experience pained me, though he said he was being gentle through the whole ordeal. He ordered me to relax, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. Each feeling burned me throughout the night, and I still felt them now, in the early morning. I awoke in my bedroom, much to my numb surprise. He'd carried me back after I'd fallen asleep, most likely. I locked gazes with the ceiling's.

"At night tomorrow," he'd said after he'd finished. "Around ten o'clock. I'll teach you then. In here, so no one else knows. Sound good?"

I'd mumbled in reply, and I suppose he took that as acceptance, for he'd left a note atop my clothes, which he'd folded ever so kindly. I couldn't read the damn thing, though I'd tried. The symbols looked close to some I'd seen before, but I barely recognized the word "you." Everything else may as well have been ancient symbols.

I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to face that lust-driven demon of a royal, let alone learn anything from him. Not if it meant having to pay him in... _that_ way…

It wasn't as if I didn't have an excuse. My body hurt like the hottest hell, particularly my head, but not so much from alcohol as from it hitting a headboard a few times the night before. "I'll be gentle," he'd said.

"Gentle as a child with a ragdoll," he'd meant.

I'd kill him. Not now, but I'd kill him. I'd need to find out a way to do it without being too obvious first, though. A way in which the murder couldn't be pinned on me. Hmm...I could poison him. Then it would look like anyone had done it. It was the smartest way to do it, but it was also the least painful. There _was_ a poison out there that supposedly corroded internal organs, but that was just a rumor. Even if it was true, I'd have to search deep into the illegal markets to find it. And as everyone knew, the deeper the market, the more dangerous the market.

So how could I kill him, then? Hanging would be too obvious—I'd already tried that before. Oh! I could tie him to a tree and plunge arrows into his body until he was at the brink of death and leave him to starve...no, that'd be too difficult. I couldn't tie him up easily. At least, not in that situation. So what could I do…

"Tatsumi!" a much-too-loud voice shouted from outside my door. Fucking Isogai.

"What?" I groaned. Sitting up in bed took nearly all of my effort, so much that I had to lean against my headboard to keep from falling.

"Get up, preferably soon. The others need to know what you want them to do."

I rubbed my eyes. "Send half to steal medicine and the other half out scouting," I ordered. "But keep about two here to guard the prisoners. I don't trust them left alone."

"Are you sick?" he asked. Concern dripped from his words.

"No," I replied. _Just sickened._ "I drank last night."

"Ah. I'll tell the others what you said."

His retreating footsteps told me that he'd left.

I sunk down into my bed with a strong exhalation and an even stronger sense of relief. Gods, sitting up was difficult…

A nap occupied the next three hours of my time, and after I'd abandoned my blank dreamland, I stood from bed and trudged into my private washroom. Due to the presence of a flame right underneath the basin of water I always kept on hand, I could have a heated bath, a rarity among commoners and a treasure among bandits. I didn't mind cold baths, but heated ones made them seem torturous.

After extinguishing the flame and waiting long enough for the water to keep from burning my skin off, I slid into the basin with a hiss. Shit, it was still hot...well, at least it numbed the pain. It was still there, but its presence wasn't as severe as it had been earlier. Perhaps I could meet Prince Bastardly after all…

Joy.

* * *

His reactions had been wonderful.

Whether it was alcohol's doing, my doing, or both, it didn't matter. Souichi was even more lovely than when he was drugged. His entire being seemed to tremble from the lightest touch. Tender whispers of even the shortest length sent him into a state of defenseless whimpering. The slightest hint of my heated breath on his milky skin reddened the area instantly, as if I'd burned my essence onto him. As if I'd marked him as mine.

He was now, in a sense. As long as our agreement held up, he was mine; a student and—technically—a lover. The latter title didn't totally apply; it wasn't entirely consensual. He'd even claimed it was forced while I took him. Ah, he'd been so cute…

But he'd been weak, too. He'd passed out upon climaxing, an event that sped up my own. His back had arched off the bed, and his arms had covered his reddened face as he'd cried out in the most wonderful high-pitched way. I'd fallen atop him, and we lay together in a dazed, pleasure-filled heap. I'd held him as we'd lain together, a blissful smile on my face. His skin was so soft...it still amazed me that he lived such a rough life…

When I'd lifted my head to murmur that to him, however, I'd found that he'd fallen unconscious. Rather than try to rouse him, I'd held him. He looked so small, so young when he slept; it was as if I was holding a sixteen-year-old, not a twenty-five-year-old. I probably couldn't tell him that, though. Not without him threatening my life. But that was fine. If all of this worked out the way I wanted it to, I could tell him how beautiful he was and only receive a mumbled "shut up," in return. For now, though, I'd ease him into it slowly.

Though I didn't want to rise from the bed, I had to transport him back to his room before the morning so that he didn't hurt me or get his reputation hurt by the others. So I'd pushed away my lusty side and locked him up, then carried Souichi, his clothing, and a note back to his bedroom, careful to avoid being caught by anyone in the process. After dressing myself, I'd awaited Isogai to return me to my cell. He had returned about twenty minutes after he'd left originally, but Souichi informed him to return in about three hours. Two and a half had been used up; I hoped he didn't ache too much when he awoke.

I remained awake throughout the night, only sleeping out of my body's inability to stay awake any longer. It felt so cold without him in my arms, so empty and hollow. But it wasn't like he'd be away from me forever. He would meet me around ten tonight, and when that hour rolled around, I'd tell him just how our system of payment would work.

For now, though, I waited with a smile on my face and fantasies in my head.


	11. Chapter 11

"No, not that way," I told him. Souichi glanced up from the parchment to meet my gaze. "You almost have them all, but the 'd' and the 'b' are wrong." I took the charcoal stick he'd used in place of a pen and wrote the two letters properly. "Like that. You had them both going the same way. Their shape is similar, but overall they're not the same."

"They look the same," he mumbled. He snatched the stick back and rewrote the letters next to mine, albeit messier. "There. Better?"

I nodded. "But you're not done."

He blinked. "What?"

"Write them again."

Two more letters appeared on the paper.

"No, not those. All of them. Do the entire thing over again."

His eyes went wide. "What? Why? You said they were nearly all correct!"

"They are, but that's not why I want you to rewrite them. If you do it repeatedly, it'll become a permanent part of your memory. That's how I learned, so it's the way that I'll teach you. This is all I plan on doing for tonight."

"Just this?" he asked. "Why? I won't read until I'm eighty at this pace! You're going too slow!"

I sighed. "I'm not doing it to torture you, Sou—Senpai." It felt so odd calling him that after so long. "You can't learn anything more advanced without a solid foundation to stand upon.

He glared. "You could still teach me more than just letters," he spat.

"I could," I agreed. "But then you'd get lost and become even more frustrated than you are right now. I'm going slowly so that you actually learn what I'm teaching you. Don't take it as an insult or offensive. I'm just trying to teach you in a way that works."

Though not by much, his glare softened. He flipped the piece of parchment over and started writing the alphabet once more. I smiled softly as I watched him write. No matter how tyrannical he was, nor how many time he'd threatened to hang me from the battlements, as a student he was adorable. While he exuded anger and frustration, he was eager to learn. A blind man could see that easily. But he wasn't frustrated at me. Rather, his frustration stemmed from not being able to read and needing these lessons in the first place. I felt bad for him. I'd learned when I was a child, around five years old, and at this point in my life I couldn't imagine not being able to read. It was such an important skill in life; how could anyone go so long without learning?

But of course anger, frustration, and eagerness weren't the only emotions he exuded. His eyes, stuck to the paper like brick to cement, hid it well, but I could see it easily. Timidly standing behind its older brothers, embarrassment dripped off of him in tiny droplets. I understood, though I didn't know nearly as well as he did how he felt. But being taught at twenty-five—at least, I think that was his age—by someone younger than him had to be embarrassing.

And saddening.

"Do you want to continue tomorrow?" I asked tentatively.

He glanced up from his charcoal-stained hand. "What? Why?"

"Well...I'm not going to do much else here. I don't plan on introducing anything to you until tomorrow, so there's no point in me sitting here, nor any point in you staying here. I can tell that you're tired and bored, too. So if you want, we can end this session now and then continue tomorrow. Or another day, depending on what you want to do."

He nodded and set the stick down. "So I'll just practice this until then?"

"Preferably. I'd like you to have memorized it all by the time we meet again. Which will be…?" I trailed off to let him finish.

Souichi stared at the ceiling in thought. "Hmm...probably not tomorrow…" He tapped his finger on his leg. "Two days from now. That way they're spaced out and suspicion's lowered."

"All right." I rose from the floor, and he followed suit. "We'll do pronunciation then. That way you'll look at them as sounds rather than just symbols for things you don't understand. Once that's done, you'll be able to read most things. Or, at least, you'll be able to figure out what the majority of them say."

He nodded as he approached the door, but before he turned the knob, he stopped. I tilted my head to the side.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

His hesitance was obvious. "I, uh...I don't have to pay you, right? It's already covered from yesterday?"

I sighed; _that_ was what I'd forgotten! "I've thought about that."

He turned to look at me. "And how have you thought about it?"

"Somewhat deeply."

He leaned against the door and gestured for me to continue.

"Well, ideally, you'd pay me after each single session we have—"

"My body would fall apart within the first five days," he interrupted severely.

"I know," I assured. "Just listen. It _should_ work that way, but as you said, you wouldn't be able to handle it. Not only that, someone's bound to notice that I'm gone from my cell if we do it that often, so suspicions will arise and you'll be questioned. So it can't work that way."

"And your solution is?"

"I was thinking that you pay me once a week."

Souichi stuck his tongue in his cheek. "Twice a month," he countered.

I knew this would happen. "Once a week," I repeated firmly.

"Three times a month," he responded, even firmer.

I held his gaze for a solid five minutes, but in a casual mood I wasn't persuasive. "All right," I replied. "Three times a month." He made to leave, but I stopped him when he'd turned the knob halfway. "But…"

His silver-haired head turned at a snail's pace. "But…?"

"But, I get to choose what three times."

"Deal," he replied.

I smiled, a little smugly. There were about four weeks in each month, so what he'd offered was essentially the same as what I had. But this way he was at least a little more accepting of what was happening.

"We'll be in the same place, then?" I asked.

"Yeah. Same time, too. Just stagger the days."

"All right. I'll create some sort of schedule for us to follow. That way you can organize lessons around whatever you do normally."

"That's the most logical thing you've said thus far," he mumbled. "Follow me. I'll take you back to my cell."

* * *

Victory was mine!

Or, at least, partially mine.

The situation was still undesirable, but at least I didn't have to pay him as much as I'd suspected. Any little victory against him was worthy of a celebration. Hell, any victory against any noble was worthy of a week-long festival. Especially against a prince who belonged to _that_ family.

Morinaga's presence gave me enough anxiety, but the fact that he was behind me, so easily able to attack, set me on edge. I could drive my blade through him here. Then anyone could be pinned with the crime. But that'd be childish and impulsive. Most of all, it was outright foolish. While as slow as a crippled snail. he _was_ a fair teacher. I didn't want to throw 'nice' in front of his name yet. Deception ran through royals veins alongside shrewdness and the color purple.

But I was learning from him, and I did want to complete my studies before making any decisions. Perhaps I'd wait until after I'd learned from him. Or maybe I wouldn't even have to bother. Messengers would probably retrieve his bastardly ass before I'd finished learning.

"Senpai?"

I glanced over my shoulder. "What do you want?"

"How's, uh...your body? Are you still sore, or…?"

I returned my gaze forward, mostly due to the heat burning my cheeks. "A little, but it's bearable," I replied hurriedly. "It was worse earlier."

"Ah."

Why was he doing this? Why was he, someone so lascivious and hypnotizing, showing this kind of concern? Why didn't he have that dark glint in his hazel eyes rather than that boyish innocence? That side of him sickened me, but at least it wouldn't lure me into a sense of false hope. During the lesson I'd almost been foolish enough to engage in conversation with him. But then my insides throbbed, and I'd remembered what he'd become the night before.

"I'm sorry," Morinaga said.

The words jolted me but not physically. "For what?"

"For hurting you," he replied. "I was really trying to be gentle, but...I got carried away. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

My eyes shifted to my feet. He sounded like a little boy apologizing to his mother; not a prince talking to a bandit. My hate for him grew with each passing second. Why was he so confusing? Why couldn't he be one personality? Why did he have to be split in two?

"You're so considerate," I grumbled.

"I try to be. My family isn't the kindest group, so I make efforts to—"

"I don't need your philosophical bullshit," I cut in. "Shout kindness to the world, but don't shout it to me."

He went quiet at that, and he remained that way for nearly the full trip back to the cells. But after I'd locked him back in his cage like the animal he was, Morinaga smiled and said, "I hope you sleep well. You look exhausted."

I probably did, even if I'd slept for most of the day. I grunted in reply before leaving him alone.

Insomnia was a clingy woman. She must've liked second-born princes, too, since she'd been my unofficial mattress-mate for the past few days. Though she was pesky, she did keep my mind on Souichi. But rather than how much I wanted his body, my thoughts lingered on what lay within him.

He was very much like a rose, beautiful on the outside but covered in so many thorns that trying to grasp him was akin to grasping a knife. But I didn't mind a few cuts on my palm. I'd received far worse, both physically and emotionally, from multiple sources. And based on how angered he was just now, he had, too. Such a mysterious bandit, he was. What was he hiding? There were so many possibilities that I couldn't count them all.

Larger than every other question was one: Why had he become a bandit in the first place? He'd probably been poor, but bandits were a different breed of commoner. Bandits resulted from feelings of injustice and violent histories. Souichi was violent, but it didn't seem like a genuine violence. It was forced, almost defensive. But that still left the question: why was he so defensive? Was it family issues? Trouble with friends? Legal issues?

Whatever it was, I planned on figuring it out. Maybe then the warmth I felt in my heart each time I stood near him would grow even larger.


	12. Chapter 12

A few weeks passed, and our lessons continued. Though nowhere near mastery, Souichi progressed steadily with being able to write and quickly with reading. Based on how he treated assignments that I gave him, he'd be able to fully read and write in about a month and a half. While I'd love to spend even more time with him, I knew that I couldn't keep him under my teachings for longer than he needed. Eventually he'd realize that he didn't need me, and then he'd distance himself even further from me. I didn't mind nearly as much as I had in the beginning, though. Perhaps after all of this he'd realize that I didn't mean him any harm. Maybe he'd even let me back in his room. Well, the chances of that happening were low, but there was always a chance, no matter how small.

He'd seemed to have opened up a bit more around me, if just a little. He wasn't as guarded when he talked to me, nor as distant. Even now, sitting across from me on the floor as we'd done nearly twelve times—I'd kept count—he asked me questions rather than just sitting there waiting for me to correct him.

"You're doing well," I told him.

"Really?" he asked. The bandit only glanced up from his work to meet my gaze for a brief moment. "I still feel behind."

Well, I _had_ slowed our lessons just a little… "No, you're not behind at all. For never knowing how to read Metsudanian, you're doing extremely well."

He nodded as he continued scratching words onto parchment. "So we'll stop soon, then?"

My stomach churned at his words. "Yes," I replied. "Sadly."

He looked up once more, this time for longer than just a second. "Sadly?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, it's just...I enjoy teaching you. It's the first time in awhile that I've felt happy being around someone like this."

"I take it you don't have many friends?" he asked. He flipped the paper that he currently copied sentences off of, then continued with his work.

"No, I do. Well, did. I'm second-born, so that put less pressure on me. I was able to socialize more than my older brother." It stung to think about him, especially after what had happened a few months back…

"Still strict, though?"

"Extremely. Royalty sets an example for the rest of the nation to follow, so a lot's expected out of us. Even though I was the less monitored of the two of us, I still had to be careful." I smiled faintly. "To be completely honest, I feel better in my cell than I did at home."

"Are you stupid or just depressed?"

My smile grew a bit at how serious he sounded. "Perhaps a little of both, but I'm a lot freer in that little space than I was at home." I placed my hand atop his, and he glanced up when he found I'd hindered his writing ability. "I'm glad that you abducted me, Senpai. You may be tyrannical, but at least it's within reason."

He stared at me with bemusement lingering in his eyes. "What're you—?"

I leaned forward and captured his lips in mine. For once, I didn't feel lustful toward him. Rather, kissing him felt warm and tingly. He still fought, of course; his hands fisted in my shirt, and he pushed against me.

"Let go," he ordered before being cut off by me once more.

I leaned a little closer, and bit by bit he lowered onto the floor. Once I had him on his back, I straddled his hips and released his lips. "Payment."

Souichi blinked up at me. "Huh?"

"You asked what I was doing earlier. I'm collecting payment." I leaned down once more and kissed him briefly. "Don't look so terrified," I murmured. "I promise it won't be it bad."

"That's what you said last time," he spat back.

I sighed. "I didn't have any control then. I promise I'll be gentle this time." My hand cupped his cheek, and with half-shut eyes I whispered, "Just let me in."

The first two syllables of a protest escaped his mouth before they were lost in my own. Though Souichi's body was nowhere close to still, I felt at least part of him relax underneath me. Was he accepting of what was going to happen? No, if that was the case he wouldn't be struggling at all. Perhaps he was just getting used to it, albeit extremely reluctantly. I smiled against his mouth; it was a little victory, but it was a victory nonetheless.

Gently I spread his legs apart, and only slightly more roughly I ground against him. Groaned but soft noises escaped his muffled lips, noises that made my already-hardening member solidify further.

"Stop...it…" he whispered.

"What?" My lips ghosted across the rim of his ear. "I've barely done a thing. You can't be in pain already."

"It's not...that…"

"Then what?" Like a snake my hand slipped underneath Souichi's shirt, but he jerked away before I could tweak one of his adorably hardened nipples.

"Stop it," he hissed, "and let me speak."

A light pang of annoyance stung my heart, and I sat upright in waiting.

Wiping his lips and glancing away, Souichi mumbled, "I may have lied to you."

I blinked. "About what?"

"This area's purpose." He gestured to the room, but I knew what he meant. "It's not abandoned, not wholly, anyway. We store stolen valuables here, and I'm almost completely certain that someone's making rounds to ensure that no one's stolen anything."

I nodded. "And?"

He glared at me. " _And,_ that means you can't collect payment tonight unless you want someone to hear."

He was lying; that much was painfully obvious. Fortresses like these had a room specifically designed for storage, located underground. I may have not viewed this region from outside, but I knew enough to determine that we were at least on the second floor.

Scooting closer, I murmured with a smile, "I hope you can keep your voice down."

His eyes widened, but I silenced him before he could utter a protest. Preventing him from escaping or harming me, I pinned his back against the wall. Feverishly I drew his member out from under its cloth prison, I smiled against his mouth. He was hard, but he wasn't close to popping. Yet.

My lips left his. "Don't worry," I whispered. "I won't go too far tonight. Nothing inside."

Despite his glare, his blush made him appear all the more adorable. "How can you talk so casually about it?" he muttered.

I shrugged. "I suppose I'm just used to it." My eyes caught a second-long glance at his shock before I lowered my head. I hadn't sucked someone in at least a year; I hoped I still remembered how…

With slowness that was only slightly intentional, my tongue slithered out from its cage and circled around his tip. Souichi gasped, and from the corner of my eye I saw his hand tense.

"What...the hell're you…?" His hand moved upward, undoubtedly poised to push me away. So I did the only thing I could to prevent that: I took him in. I could feel his entire body tense at that, but his hand didn't lower. Instead, both of them rested atop my head. "Not...with your mouth...stop…!"

 _But you're already so hard,_ the voice in my head whined. _I can't just leave it like that. I'd be a bad…_ Lover? No, lover implied that there was love and consent involved, and at least on his part, there was none of either. Consent was definitely present on my end; as for love...well, even the most magnificent roses bloomed from tiny seeds.

Realizing I'd barely done a thing since taking him in, I moved my way up and down his erect length. My throat massaged the sensitive flesh that radiated those wonderful waves of heat as his delicate gasps and creamy moans tickled my ears. The whole thing seemed so surreal, and maybe it was just my imagination that heightened the quality of his noises. But it didn't matter; I didn't care. He was wonderful, whether in reality or in my euphoric mind.

"You fucking...son of a...shitbag…!" A sharp gasp split the room with a searing cut, and warm stickiness mingled with the saliva present in my mouth. With a pleased sigh I gulped his release, and with a melancholy one I released him..

"There. Was that so bad?"

His arm concealed the lower half of his face, but I could still see Souichi's bright blush and horrified gaze.

I tilted my head to the side. "S...Senpai? Is there something wrong?"

Slowly Souichi rose from his spot on the floor, but without any form of hesitance he cracked his fist across my face. His stature belied the force of his blow, enough to send me to the floor and holding my bruising cheek.

"Sen—"

"You brought this upon yourself," he spat. "I told you not to!"

"But...but you still came…"

A soft growl escaped his lips, and once again he delivered a blow to my head, this time with his foot. "I hope your dick freezes off," he hissed. "Now get up before someone gets suspicious."


	13. Chapter 13

Following that nightmare of an experience and the caging of that beast, I looked forward to collapsing atop my bed and perhaps drinking myself to sleep. But as always, _something_ had to interrupt my chances of even a second of serenity. My lessons with the beast prince must have jumbled my memory, as I was fully prepared to backhand Isogai when he said my name and told me to follow him.

But after he'd told me the nature of his request, the conversation we'd had came back fully. So I snatched my weaponry and a bottle of my favorite rum from my cabinet and had an eighth of the latter drained when Isogai and I had mounted our respective horses—coincidentally the same ones from the carriage Morinaga and the whiner had ridden in about a month and a half before. By that point, I was just drunk enough to stay awake but just sober enough to keep my wits about me.

The nearest village from the fortress was only fifteen minutes away, and that had served as our former meeting place when these negotiations occurred. However, after an incident of someone stabbing another person with a pair of shears, it was dangerous for us to stay there without the authorities being called on us. An extra thirty minutes now stood on the former fifteen, but now our destination was a larger town with a more spacious location to accommodate our meetings.

"So," Isogai began.

I groaned both internally and externally; he couldn't just stay quiet whenever we rode. No, he _had_ to strike up pointless conversation every time we were together. I pulled out the bottle I'd taken and sipped.

"What is it that you don't like done with his mouth?"

Nearly choking on the rum, I yanked the bottle from my mouth and coughed. Once I could breathe, I whipped my head in his direction. "What?" I heaved.

"'Not with your mouth'—that's what you said, right? Tell me, what was _he_ doing?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Isogai chuckled. "Oh, come on. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I know exactly what I'm talking about, too. All I'm asking for is a bit of clarification."

"Why?"

"I need to know what else to hold against you so everyone comes out of this meeting _without_ shears in their legs. Especially Kuro—"

"Don't say his name when I'm fully equipped to kill you," I spat.

"If you'd wanted to kill me, you would've done it by now," he retorted. "But you keep me around because you know you can't run the ring without my assistance. After all, everyone else in our ring would have died by now had you killed me the moment I found out about your...past killings."

I glanced away. Even if he was annoying, Isogai's slippery ways had prevented at least ten deaths, eight of which would've been caused by me. "How?" I said at a volume just above a whisper.

"How'd I find out? Well, I'd just happened to be in the same area as you—"

"I thought someone else was making the rounds," I cut in, gazing at him once more.

"There was another person making the rounds," he affirmed with a nod. "But I traded out."

"Why?"

He smiled at me. "Because I had suspicions. I had no idea of knowing if you were gone, but I traded shifts with Yamaguchi to test my theory. So you wouldn't threaten him for not doing his job, I decided I was going to inform you. But you weren't in your room. So I figured 'maybe he's abusing the prisoners,' since I know you've done that in the past when you were angered. But you weren't down there, either, and when I looked in the cells, the prince had disappeared, too. By then I'd pieced together that both of you were together, and I'd just figured that you'd be in the one place I didn't check: the storage part of the fortress." He smiled smugly. "I arrived in time to hear 'payment,' and I stayed until you wished that his manhood froze off."

My grip on the bottle tightened, and had it not still had liquid in it, I would've hit him. But then he'd be more inclined to 'let his tongue slip' about what he'd heard. Or, worse, what he'd seen that day eight years ago.

An edge to my voice, I threatened, "If you mention a _syllable_ of what you know from either experience without provocation, I will usher in a fate worse than death."

Isogai held his hands up in mock-surrender. "Don't worry, I'll be good."

 _Somehow I doubt that,_ I thought.

"But at least tell me the reason why," he said. "You're always so adamant about that sort of thing, due to...the past. So why now? Surely it's not consensual." He paused. "Or have you—?"

"It's an exchange," I interrupted. "He's teaching me things, and that's the payment for lessons. And no, it isn't consensual."

"So he's forcing the payment method, then?"

"Absolutely." I kicked myself for that. Even though it sounded justifiable now, now it sounded like I couldn't defend myself against Morinaga. Which I _could_ do; I just didn't to avoid any further complications.

Our journey continued in silence for the next twenty minutes. That silence broke, however, at the twenty-first minute. It didn't shatter, rather, it gained a tiny scratch. But that scratch was big enough to be audible. I threw up my cloak's hood and tucked my hair away. I'd hidden the last strand when two men clad in brown and green uniforms materialized out of the trees and into our path. Isogai and I halted. Sentries.

"Rather late to be out here, isn't it?" the older of the two said. "What business do you have that requires such a late trip?"

"Pardon us," Isogai apologized. "We were attending a celebration and stayed a bit longer than we'd intended. We're just traveling home now."

"Celebration?" the younger sentry asked. "With those weapons?"

Isogai nodded. "These are rather dangerous woods, after all. Bandits run rampant. It'd be foolish not to carry protection."

"Most would carry around a knife," he said. "But you two come armed with what seems like knives _and_ arrows. You're that paranoid?"

Isogai shrugged. "One can't be too cautious. Especially in these woods. It's rumored that a few very important figures have disappeared while passing through here."

The older sentry nodded. "Prince Tetsuhiro."

"Ah, really?" Isogai asked. "I hadn't realized the bandits had claimed someone of _that_ high standing."

"An intense tragedy, indeed," he agreed.

"So are we able to go?" Isogai asked.

"Just as soon as your companion lowers his hood."

I glanced at Isogai. Undoubtedly I'd be recognized the moment they'd viewed my face.

"It'd be better if you didn't," Isogai said. "He's quite intoxicated, and the hood's putting him in a state of...false sleep, I suppose. If he lowers that hood, he'll most likely regain a sense of where he is and start shouting obscenities. Wasting our time and, more importantly, yours."

"That wouldn't be desirable," the young sentry agreed. "All right, go along. Wouldn't want your friend falling off his mount."

We went our separate ways, and once we were far enough away that the sentries definitely couldn't hear, Isogai smirked and said, " _That_ is why you keep me around."

* * *

By the time we'd arrived at the tavern, the others were already present, seated, and refreshed. I'd lowered my hood about a mile back, but now the glare that I'd been holding in the back of my mind was visible as well. The only one out of the group of ten who didn't look up when we entered was a man in his late twenties with black hair seated at the center table in a collection of four. It took Isogai's presence and all of my restraint—of which there was little to none in this situation—but I managed to not lunge at him knife in hand.

"Quite the security you brought, Kurokawa," Isogai commented. "You know that you really don't have to bring more than two."

"I just wanted to make sure," he replied with a brief glance at me.

I couldn't help but smirk. "I'm flattered, truthfully, that you've grown smarter. But that doesn't change my opinion of you in the slightest." I slid into the seat across from him, and Isogai in the one next to me. I pulled out one of a few cigarettes and a match that I always kept on hand and lit the former with the latter. "So," I started. "What've you got?"

"Since we last met a month ago, we've gained about four more people."

"Prisoners," I corrected. Gods, I hated how he tried to make everything seem less harsh than it really was.

He nodded but didn't verbally fix the sentence. "We have two fairly significant religious figures, the head of a jewel mining company, and a baron."

"Mmm." I blew smoke from my mouth. "Nothing overly significant."

"But as a bundle, their value's not that bad," Isogai added. "You can make a solid amount off the four of them without much interference from the law. The only one who would be concerning legally is the jewel miner."

"He's not a miner. He just runs the operation," the bastard across the table said.

"So he's an overseer?" Isogai asked.

"No, he's the head of the entire operation. As in, he orchestrates everything and benefits most from what's mined."

"Oh, well that changes things, doesn't it?"

I nodded. "Makes him more dangerous to trade because of legal trouble. The other three will most likely go quietly, but that one'll be concerning."

"I'm sure you can find a way around it," Kurokawa said. "You're both extremely intelligent when it comes to ransoms. Better than us."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," I spat.

"We'll consider," Isogai said.

Kurokawa nodded. "And what about you? How's...the acquiring—"

"Hunting," I interjected.

"—of your people—"

"Bargaining tools."

"—been?"

"Slow," Isogai said. "Very slow. Souichi has been a bit occupied with one of the prisoners we have."

I shot him a glare, and ever so slightly my hand drifted toward my knife.

"You see, the prisoner's given him a bit of trouble and isn't subordinating well. As such, we're going to wait a bit before going out to get more prisoners."

"Well, who do you have?"

Isogai turned to me, and I snubbed the cigarette on the table. "Only two for now. The first is a duke's son. Extremely whiny and terrified of everything involving us, so he submits rather easy, to the point where it's now extremely annoying."

"And the other?"

"I was getting to that," I gritted out. "The second one, as Isogai mentioned, is extremely difficult to deal with, so much that I don't want to even think about him. He's a noble. Nothing extremely high, but high enough that he's missed by quite a few people. High enough that he easily equals your four prisoners."

"But troublesome enough that he's a nuisance," Isogai added. "So, after hearing all of that, what do you want to do?"

Kurokawa tapped his fingers on the table as he stared at us in blank thought. "Well, what about the obvious? We trade our four for your two."

"Sounds simple enough," Isogai said. "Well?"

"Not a chance," I denied.

"Why not?" Kurokawa inquired.

"I'm not willing to give up the noble," I said.

"What? But you said that he was troubling. Wouldn't it make sense to give him to us to keep the trouble away?"

"It would," I allowed. "If he was a lower value. He easily matches the value of all four of yours, so it only makes sense that he also easily surpasses that value. So I'm not willing to give him up."

"All right. What about the other one?"

"I'll gladly give him to you," I agreed. "Be warned, he's annoying."

"Deal. What date should we exchange?"

"A week from today," Isogai replied. "That'll give us enough time to plan out the logistics of the tradeoff."

"Sounds good," Kurokawa said. "But Souichi, is there any way that you'll agree to giving up that other prisoner?"

"There is _one_ thing that would make me reconsider." I glared at him. "Give back Tomoe."

He shook his head. "I can't do that. I love him too much."

I shot up from my seat and pulled him up across the table by his shirt collar. "You disgusting son of a shit," I spat. My knife traveled from its sheath to his throat in less than a second, and instantly Kurokawa's nine companions were up. Swords left scabbards; knives left sheaths; arrows sat poised on bowstrings. One such knife pressed against the back of my neck, but the pressure I held on Kurokawa's flesh didn't lessen.

"Put the knife away," the one behind me ordered.

"You hold no authority with me," I retorted.

"Souichi, put it it away," Isogai chimed in. While everyone else was held in a state of stilled panic, he sat comfortably in his seat, no weapon drawn and no urgency shown.

"Why should I? He deserves this for stealing Tomoe away."

"I didn't steal him away," Kurokawa muttered.

"Lies!" I shouted. "You did steal him away, and you've conditioned him into thinking that he loves you through captivity!"

A sigh entered the room's air, coming of course from Isogai, who stood up but didn't move to assist me. Expected, as he and Kurokawa were friends before we'd met. "He lied to you, you know," Isogai said.

"What?" Both Kurokawa and I spoke, but his gaze was directed at the former.

"He lied. That second prisoner is far more than just a faceless noble."

My glare shifted to him. "Isogai…"

"Then what is he?" Kurokawa questioned.

"You're rather updated with events occurring in the world," Isogai began. "So undoubtedly you've heard of a specific disappearance."

"Isogai."

He continued, "About a month and a half ago the younger prince of the Morinaga family was expected to return home. But he hasn't."

Kurokawa's eyes widened. "You mean… _you_ have him?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps. And perhaps Souichi was also lying to you about why that prisoner's been troublesome."

My body tensed. Kurokawa was brash, but he wasn't stupid. Anyone could figure out from what Isogai had said that we were harboring Morinaga. And that realization could easily have all of us killed, me in the worst way possible. He'd always threatened to give up the other secret he knew, but I never expected him to give this one up so early.

All brazenness lost, I threw Kurokawa down and sheathed my knife. "We're leaving," I announced. The knife on my neck disappeared and I grabbed Isogai's collar before dragging him toward the door.

"We'll see you in a week, Kurokawa," he said with a smile.

Rubbing the spot where my blade had once been, Kurokawa nodded. I shoved Isogai out of the room but remained in the doorway.

"I don't care what Tomoe will think of me. If you say a _word_ about _any_ of this, I _will_ rain fire on all of you," I hissed.


	14. Chapter 14

"Do you want to stop?" I asked. "I can tell that you're not exactly...in the mind frame for learning at the moment."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, uh...you've been writing synonyms for 'death' for the past five minutes…" I gestured to the parchment, where a list of words including 'dismemberment,' 'slaughter,' 'murder,' and 'disembowelment,' currently resided. Souichi stared down at it for a few moments, then stared at me.

"You told me to list words describing my mood, didn't you? Do you want me to be truthful or do you want me to lie?"

The hollow darkness in his voice made me snatch the charcoal stick in his hand as quickly as I could. "Well, when you list things like that, it concerns me." Though it _was_ impressive that he could spell words such as 'disembowelment' with only about two weeks of learning. Then again, he was a rapid learner.

"Why does it concern you? And give that back." He reached for the stick, which I held out of reach.

"I'm concerned that your anger will lead to me getting this shoved somewhere painful."

He scoffed. "Can't take what you give?" he mumbled.

I frowned at him. "What's wrong? Why're you so angered?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm willing to listen without judgment?" I guessed.

His gaze was flat. "You act as if I'm broken-hearted."

"Well, you do show some signs of some kind of trouble." I set the stick down and slid the parchment aside. "What's wrong?"

He scowled at me, but it wasn't nearly as intense as other looks he'd given me in the past. "You're annoying," he muttered. "You know that, right?"

"I've been told that before," I said. Mostly it was by him, but that wasn't the point. "I've also been told that I prod too much." I scooted closer. "But it's only because I want to make people feel better. So what's wrong?"

He groaned. "You're really not planning on giving up, are you?"

"Probably not. Come on." I placed my thumb under his lip and pressed my forehead to his. "Please tell me," I murmured.

To the surprise of every fiber in my being, he didn't strangle me. Instead, he lowered his eyes, and a slight pinkness appeared on his face. Gods, I wanted to kiss him. But that'd be asking for too much.

"Fine," he grumbled. He stood from the floor.

"Where're you going?"

"Somewhere no one can find out about us. You're coming, too."

His bitter tone probably meant something, but I'd probably hear about it once we went whenever we reached wherever he had in mind.

With an even higher sense of caution circling about him, Souichi led me up a short staircase that seemingly led to nowhere. But after opening a latch and pushing a panel of the ceiling up, I realized what little sense I had.

The night air was chill but not biting, the cold like a constant but gentle gnaw. Luckily they'd provided me with clothing after they'd locked me in my cell, and even more luckily they were fitting for the winter weather. He sat and leaned back against a battlement, and I joined him. Unsurprisingly he scooted away to put a bit of distance between us.

"So?" I prompted.

"It's nothing directly related to you," he assured. "But you are involved. Last week, Isogai and I went to meet with another group that we sometimes trade prisoners with. That's why your companion's no longer here."

And what an emotional goodbye it had been. I didn't think that he'd stop clinging to me.

"Well, the leader of that group is the person I hate the most. And I hate a lot of people."

"Why do you hate him so much?"

He narrowed his eyes but not at me. "About two years ago he lured my younger brother Tomoe to their hideout and didn't let him leave. I tried negotiating, but he wouldn't give Tomoe back. So as any good brother would do, I stormed the place to retrieve him. But when I found him, he refused to leave, claiming that he was 'in love' with his captor. I tried convincing him that it wasn't reasonable or right, but he refused to leave. Eventually it became so hostile—his group outnumbers mine two to one at the least—that my group had to leave. I've been bitter ever since."

I stared at my lap; that made the issues I had with my brother seem miniscule. "So that's it? You had to meet with him and now you're angry?"

"Only partially." He crossed one leg over the other. "Our meeting escalated violently, to the point where everyone drew weapons and all of them were pointed at me. Except Isogai, though he used a different sort of weapon. A worse one."

I tilted my head to the side. "Words?"

Souichi nodded.

"What'd he say?"

He directed his gaze to the sky and bit his lower lip. He didn't want to talk, but I knew he was going to. "He...he brought you up."

"How?"

"He told them that we have you, though not directly. He put a 'perhaps' in the front. But anyone could figure out what he meant by that."

"So you're angered at Isogai, then," I surmised.

"I'm angered at everyone," he said. "But it's more focused toward him at the moment."

Angered at everyone...what'd he mean? Even if a person said they hated everyone, they usually didn't mean it. But if they did mean it, and by the edge in his voice it sounded like he did, they usually had a reason behind it. Only question was, what was his? I'd ask him later, when we'd gotten a bit closer. Though based on this conversation, we were definitely getting there. But perhaps now I could feed my prodding problem just a little more…

"What's your family like?" I asked.

"Why do you care?" he replied.

I shrugged. "I'm just curious, now that I know about you being on bad terms with your brother."

He sighed. "We're not on bad terms. Kurokawa and I are."

Kurokawa must have been that other leader he was talking about.

Souichi continued, "Tomoe's smart, but he's easily-trusting and oblivious. That's why I'm so concerned about him being in captivity with _him._ He's adamant about staying, and I'm adamant about him leaving, but as long as Tomoe doesn't completely cut off ties with me, I'm relatively fine with it."

My stare turned reverent and a bit envious. So even someone as hateful and bitter as Souichi had a softer side. If only Kunihiro was that way with me… "Is he all you have, then?"

He shook his head. "I have a younger sister, too, though I haven't seen her in a few months. Her name's Kanako."

"Pretty."

He nodded. "She's a jubilant one, though she has a tendency to berate me at times. Nothing severe, though." For a brief moment I thought I saw him smile. "She's only fourteen, but she acts like a mother."

I chuckled under my breath at the image it put in my head. "And your parents?"

"My mother died a few years ago, but my father's still alive. He's an avid traveler, though, so the times when we see him are rare. He's not neglectful, though. Just extremely eccentric."

"That sounds nice." I smiled at my feet. "I'm envious. You sound like you have such a loving family."

"You don't?"

I shook my head. "Gods, no. My home environment's always been extremely severe and pressured. It makes sense, though, since I'm a prince, but I can't recall many times when I felt loved. The scandal doesn't exactly help at all, either."

He didn't exactly reply, but he glanced away.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me or anything like that," I told him. "Even if that environment's harsh, I'm fine. I won't have to go back, anyway. At least, not for awhile."

Souichi's gaze shifted back to me. "What do you mean?"

I returned his look. "Well, even if you're keeping me for ransom, you have to keep me around for awhile due to me teaching you. It might not even be a good idea to trade me in for ransom, since you'll probably get punished severely."

The thought of his name and 'death' in the same sentence made me want to hold him to keep him safe from the world. And that's exactly what would happen if any word of my whereabouts was leaked. Then again, it already had been; all I could do now is hope that the Kurokawa Souichi had spoken of had trustworthy men.

"To be completely honest, I don't want to go back. I like it here." I smiled at him. "Especially you. Even if you're easily angered, I love being around you." I leaned closer and cupped his cheek. "I love you in general." My lips met his, but they didn't stay there for long. Souichi pulled back and shoved me away halfheartedly.

"What kind of nonsense bullshit are you talking about?" he hissed.

"It's not nonsense. I mean it. I love you."

He shot up and retreated a few steps. "You're fucking with me."

"I'm not." I rose as well, and instantly his body tensed. "I promise, what I'm saying is genuine."

There we stood, stiller than any column.

There hung the silence, thicker than any stone.

There he went, calmer than any storm.

And there he said, colder than any winter night, "I don't want love from a demon like you."


	15. Chapter 15

Sickness. Intense, thought-altering sickness, caused by overexposure to the cold. That had to be it. That was the reason for what he'd said—no, _claimed._ Either that or his sense of humor was twisted, and what he'd _claimed_ was some sort of joke. Those...those _things_ were incapable of love. Just lust.

After caging his delusional mind a bit more securely than I'd been doing prior to that 'confession,' I trudged my way up to my room and collapsed atop the bed. Gods, when was the last time I'd slept decently? At least a week, but it was probably longer. I didn't bother changing out of my clothes for the simple reason that I didn't feel like moving. This way I wouldn't end up sleeping on the floor.

I'd half-drifted off and had been that way for about ten minutes when a few knocks sounded on my door. Eh, it'd be fine if I didn't reply. Probably just something trivial, anyway. Besides, I deserved this sleep more than anyone right now.

But of course, Isogai _had_ to ruin everything.

"Souichi," he said. "Are you in there?"

 _Go away,_ I thought. _Go away now._

"Souichi."

 _No..._

"Souichi!"

Oh, for fuck's sake—I sat up and shouted, " _What_?!"

"Oh, good, you're up. I'd feared you'd fallen asleep."

"I was _trying_ to. What do you want?"

For the second time since I'd met him, his voice possessed a hesitant edge. "It'd be better if we spoke in private about this. Can I come in?"

Under any other circumstance, I'd shove my knife through the door in relative location of his face. But that tone...either he was being held at arrow-point on the other side of the door or whatever he had to talk about would change the course of the near-future. Either way, it shoved away my tiredness, at least for a few moments.

"Fine."

He joined me in the room, leaning against the door. Based on his borderline-haggard appearance, he'd either been in a brief fight or had just returned from a journey.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I just met with one of Kurokawa's men," he started. "It was coincidental, but he had something to say regarding Tomoe, so I decided to listen."

My interest now piqued, I sat up. "What is it?"

"Nothing to be concerned about," Isogai assured. "He just wants to meet with you, since it's been so long."

"Ah. So he misses me. Is the messenger within reasonable reach?"

"He's downstairs at the moment."

"Tell him that I'll be there sometime this week."

"You can't."

"What? Why?"

"He was adamant that it had to be tonight. I'm not sure why, though."

"Well, did you _ask_?"

"Of course I did. But when I did so, he didn't reply. Just kept saying 'it had to be tonight,' over and over again."

I shrugged. "It's probably just Tomoe being childish. I'll go." Rising from the bed, I asked, "Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah, one other thing. It's about Morinaga."

"Oh?" I begun equipping myself with the various accouterments I always took with me when I went traveling. Even if this was going to be a relatively civil meeting, I may still encounter issues on the way there. And, of course, Kurokawa would be there, and I needed to be ready if a perfect opportunity arose.

"Apparently a lot of sentries are searching and asking for and about Morinaga's disappearance. Even though you said you wanted to keep him for longer, you should probably drop him off somewhere on the way. That way if he's found, we're not there with him."

I nodded. Excellent! An excuse to drop his ass into the woods and never look back! Finally the gods smiled down upon me!


	16. Chapter 16

_I don't want love from a demon like you. Demon. You. Nonsense. Bullshit. Fucking with me._ Each word carried an entire quiver of arrows with it. Arrows that pierced my heart and clawed at my soul. His words weren't just said out of impulse. He meant everything that he'd said. That tone wasn't embarrassment—it was hatred. Pure, unadulterated hatred.

He was a rose in many ways, Beautiful, for sure. With his soft hair and bright eyes and toned body...no one could deny that. It'd be like denying that the sky was blue. But no one could also deny that he was thornier than any rose I'd seen. They covered his body and extended far outward to deter people from coming close. But it was arrows, too. Arrows and thorns. That's what covered him. So when he came into my cell, I stayed back and kept my gaze averted.

"Get up," Souichi ordered. "We're going for a walk."

Though I wanted to know at least five more details, I simply obeyed and rose from my spot on the floor. Only then did I notice the shackles he brought with him. Bound went my ankles and wrists, far enough that I could move them but short enough that I couldn't run quickly or far. Not that it was any use. He'd shoot me down before I could get anywhere near a safe distance away. There wasn't any reason to restrain me, but I knew the reason.

Once he'd locked a collar around my neck, he tugged on the chain attached to it and led me out of the cell.

"Oh, wait," he said. "I almost forgot." He turned on me and placed a cloth in my mouth, tying it almost too tightly in the back. "There. Now we can do this in silence."

Minutes later we arrived in the fortress's yard, where a mount and an unfamiliar man on a mount waited for us. The man's eyes widened once they landed on me, but he averted his gaze before I could try to discern why.

"You the messenger?" Souichi asked.

"Yes. I was told to lead you to the others for safety purposes."

His speech was stilted and almost sounded planned-out beforehand. Had I any power, I'd advise Souichi to travel with a few of his own men. But that'd be like a rock telling a bird how to fly.

His hand still on the chain around my neck, Souichi mounted his own steed and turned to the messenger. "I can find the way myself, you know."

"I don't doubt your navigation ability. But Kurokawa ordered me to take you back."

"And breaking that order will devastate your relationship with him?"

The messenger shrugged. "Just following orders."

He sighed. "Fine. Lead the way."

"Ah, before we go, I have to ask." He pointed to me. "Who is he, and why is he coming with us?"

"Him? He's just a prisoner that I'm dropping in the woods."

I widened my eyes. Dropping off in the woods? Was he really just planning to abandon me without second thought? I knew he disliked me now, but...so soon?

"We could take him," the messenger offered. "At least then his value wouldn't be wasted."

"Hmm…" Souichi glanced at me with a thoughtful look. "All right. I don't have any use for him anymore."

My eyes widened, and though I was gagged I still protested. Souichi yanked on my neck chain, and I nearly fell to my knees. I could practically feel the hate rattle through the chain, and it was enough to silence me for the ride. Or walk, on my end.

If I could've helped it, I wouldn't be walking this quickly. I'd be dragging my feet at least a mile behind me, and I'd have my head hung lower than my knees. Why did love have to be so hard? Why did it matter if I loved him? Why did it matter if I loved _a_ 'him?' Why was it so different? Why was it so wrong? Why was he going to trade me off like an object? Why was the world so hateful? Why?!

"Why such a sudden meeting, anyway?" Souichi asked. "Usually I'm informed a day or so in advance and then I go the next day. Why does it have to be today?"

The messenger tensed, but it was barely strong enough to be visible. Did Souichi notice? "I'm not completely certain. But they seemed adamant about it."

"Really? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe. They didn't tell me much."

Sounds odd. The uneasy look on Souichi's face told me that he felt the same way.

The journey continued on for ten, maybe fifteen more minutes before we reached a large clearing. At that point the messenger stopped, but Souichi continued onward for a few steps before doing the same. He turned to the messenger with a furrowed brow.

"What're you doing?" Souichi asked. "The hideout isn't for at least another two miles."

The messenger said nothing. Instead he just looked around with an extremely anxious look on his face.

"Why did you stop?" he asked.

Still no response.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Why'd we stop?!"

"They were right," a voice said. "You _are_ loud."

My eyes went wide. That voice...Captain Fukushima? What in gods' names was he…?

The leaves on the bushes and trees rustled, though the air was completely still. One by one men trickled out from the darkness, some faces familiar and others unknown. All of them said the same thing, though: our presence isn't to be taken lightly. The men formed a tight circle around us, their number at least fifty. Weapons of varying types occupied their hands, and with a glance at the trees I saw archers crouched among the branches. Some were dressed in the typical brown-and-green of forest sentries, but a majority of them were clad in the royal red-and-black. Members of the royal army. Which meant…

"So this is where you were hiding all this time."

His attire more ornate and official than the others, a man with reddish hair and sharp bespectacled eyes stepped out from the line of men in front of us. His forever-disapproving gaze was directed entirely and only toward Souici, whose face was frozen in a look of complete shock.

Kunihiro turned his head to the other men. "Why are you standing there? Retrieve my brother."

Two of the royal guard approached and pulled me away from Souichi and the messenger. They untied the gag from my mouth, but without the key they couldn't unlock my shackles. Based on how things looked now, however, it wouldn't be difficult to retrieve.

My older brother's head turned again, this time with something that tried to be a smile but still failed in the end. "You did well. I was under the impression for the longest time that bandits were foolish."

Two more figures stepped out from the line. One was taller with black hair and masculine features. The other was diminutive, ginger in hair and large in eyes. His features were boyish, but they hearkened back to the one whom everyone currently pointed their weapons at. Was that Souichi's younger brother?

I turned my head to the one I loved, and even from this distance I felt the waves of negativity and anger ripple off him. "You son of a bitch," he spat. It wasn't directed at Kunihiro, but rather the dark-haired man Kunihiro had praised. "I'll kill you!"

"I didn't do this willingly," the man defended. "I was planning on keeping it a secret, I promise! One of my men gave up what Isogai had told us. Souichi, please understand, they were going to kill all of us if I didn't tell them!"

"You bastard. I _trusted_ you! And you gave me away to _him_ , nonetheless!" He pointed a finger that carried conviction at Kunihiro.

"Calm down," the young redhead tried to placate. "Do you really think that he'd just give you up willingly, brother?"

"Considering what I'm seeing now, definitely!"

"Stop shouting, all of you!" Kunihiro boomed.

Instantly the clearing went silent.

The only sound came from Kunihiro's boots crunching the snow that lay on the ground. He stopped aside Souichi, and after an exchanged glare, he grabbed Souichi by his collar and pulled him down. With a grunt Souichi landed, but as he rose to struggle a sentry grabbed him by his hair from behind and held a sword at his throat. Souichi's countenance was strong and harsh, but he didn't attempt to move.

"Let me go, you ass!" Souichi hissed. "I'll kill all of you! Kurokawa first!"

Kunihiro said nothing, even as Souichi proceeded to label him every foul-natured name in existence, even inventing a few new ones along the way. Instead my brother just stared down at him.

"...planning on saying something or are you just going to keep staring at me, you fucking shitfaced asswagon?!"

I'd have to use that one sometime. Had this situation been any lighter, I would've laughed.

In a slow, measured tone Kunihiro finally said, "Your name. Souichi?"

"Yeah," he gritted out. "Why?"

"Does your last name happen to be Tatsumi?"

He went silent at that, and for the first time since my first night in captivity, I saw pure terror streak across his face.

Kunihiro's attempt at a smile appeared once more. "I see. I thought I recognized you, though your hair's much longer than it was back then." He turned his head back. "Arrest him. Practice no mercy."

Captain Fukushima, a man in his fifties with eyes cold in combat and complete control over the royal guard, approached Souichi with shackles far heavier and tighter than mine. The sentry still held him from behind, even as chains completely restrained Souichi's body. His shouting continued even when Captain Fukushima placed a menacing-looking metal muzzle over Souichi's head. Even then he still shouted, but instead of intelligible curses he shouted garbled, hateful nonsense.

"How fitting that you're growling, considering how much of a beast you are," Kunihiro spat.

Souichi merely glared at him and continued shouting. Wherever that terror had been, it was gone from his face now. But it wasn't completely eradicated. No, it was still there; just hidden behind a veil of frustration and anger.

Only then did I remember that I was now audible. "Why're you restraining him so much?" I asked.

Kunihiro turned to me. "So he doesn't escape, now or when we put him to death."

"Death?! But punishment for abduction isn't always death! Prison, yes, but death is only if he harms the prisoner. And I'm not harmed!" Not physically, anyway.

"You're right," he agreed. "Abduction without harm isn't grounds for instant death." His tone darkened. "But assassination is."

I blinked. "Assassination? What're you…?" I shifted my gaze to Souichi, who met my gaze for only a second before looking to the side.

Kunihiro's countenance was also one of surprise, but it was subdued. "What? Tetsuhiro, don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

He sighed. "Gods, you really are oblivious." He pointed to Souichi, and he said in a voice that shattered the world a thousand times over, "That's the man who killed our father."


End file.
